Rise of the Shadow Mages
by ButterflySwarm
Summary: After finally getting home after the mess with the Orichalcos, Yugi and Yami are looking forward to a bit of relaxation before getting Yami's memories back. However, a phone call from Ishizu could throw a wrench in those plans and change not only their destinies, but all those with a connection to the Items. Prequel to Shadow Mages Don't Mix With Wizards.
1. New News

**WELCOME BACK! It feels weird to have gone so long without an update, but here we are. If you're just joining us on this adventure, welcome aboard!**

 **This is the prequel to my first story** ** _Shadow Mages Don't Mix With Wizards_** **. My goal is to make this story so that you don't have to read that before this. Fair warning, I am nowhere near as prepared for this story as I was for my last one, though I** ** _do_** **have an idea where this is going. Hopefully it'll flow right.**

 **But for now, enjoy the first chapter!**

* * *

Yugi sat up in bed, yawning and stretching, glad to be home once more. It had been a couple of weeks, even if most of his memories of it came from Yami. He had no memories from the time his soul was taken by the Orichalcos to the time when it was returned. He barely remembered the Orichalcos duel itself, though he certainly remembered begging Yami to not play the card and then pushing him out of the way when he lost. Yami kept apologizing profusely for his actions during the whole debacle, but Yugi held no grudge and patiently reminded the spirit of that every time guilt threatened to overtake him.

And then there was that tournament that Kaiba basically blackmailed them into competing in. Even a well screened tournament such as that had managed to attract more danger than Yugi cared for. At least it was all over now.

' _Sleep well?'_

Yugi smile at the corporeal spirit that had appeared at the foot of his bed as he slipped the Puzzle over his head, ' _I did. How about you?'_

' _Very well, thank you.'_

' _It's so good to be home,'_ Yugi said cheerfully, staring at the grey sky outside that promised rain. Even the weather couldn't dampen his spirit right now, ' _Wasn't sure how'd we make it if it wasn't for Kaiba.'_

Yami scoffed, ' _He only brought us home for his own benefit.'_

' _Still, we should be grateful he actually followed through. We could still be stuck in America right now.'_

Yami huffed, not wanting to be thankful to Kaiba for anything. Yugi shook his head good naturedly at the spirit's stubbornness towards their long time rival and got dressed for the day. Hopefully it would be a day to relax and hang out with his friends. They already planned to get together this afternoon.

 _'We could have gotten Pegasus to bring us home if we had tried,'_ Yami said.

 _'Do you trust Pegasus or Kaiba more?'_ Yugi asked, causing Yami to sulk. Kaiba had proven himself a more worthy duelist many times over and would be the one to trust if given the choice, but Yami still didn't like putting up with the billionaire if he didn't have to.

"Yugi!" his grandpa called from downstairs, "There is a phone call for you!"

"Be right there!" he called back. "Who would be calling this early?" Yugi wondered to Yami as he walked towards the door.

' _It's not so early,'_ Yami chuckled, pointing at the clock on Yugi's nightstand which read 8:30, ' _You slept in by your standards.'_

"Oh," Yugi turned back to look at the clock, not having checked when he woke up. The question still remained though.

' _Maybe it's Ishizu with more information about the tablet,'_ Yami mused, picking up Yugi's wonderings.

It was plausible. The Egyptian exhibit at the museum had run its course and the Ishtars had moved the relics back to Egypt that meant that now they either had to go to Egypt to retrieve Yami's memories, or Ishizu would have to find a way to bring the tablet back to Domino City. However, they weren't expecting to actually hear anything for a week or so.

Not wanting to keep whoever it was waiting any longer, Yugi started back towards the stairs.

' _Yugi, look,'_ Yami's suddenly tense voice stopped him.

Yugi turned to see light shining from the bag where he kept the Millennium Items and felt dread settle in his stomach. An Item reacting suddenly like this did not bode well. Digging through it, he found the source of the light: the Millennium Necklace. As his hand closed around it, the room around him faded, replaced by darkness and seven shadowy figures, each clearly wielding a Millennium Item which glowed brightly.

Another figure, without an Item snuck up behind them, ready to strike. However, before it could, the figure with the Rod spun around and threw the first into the jaws of a monster that emerged from the Shadows. Surprisingly, rather than a sense of wrong or evil, there was a sense of justice.

The darkness faded to reveal a thriving city. Yugi and Yami watched in amazement as the city was built up and torn down time after time. All the while, the seven figures stood still, seemingly unaffected by the years passing by.

Finally, the Puzzle shone brighter than either of them thought possible, blinding them temporarily. When the light died down and they were able to open their eyes, they found the vision had faded and they were back in Yugi's room.

"What was that about?" Yugi asked breathlessly, staring the Item sitting innocently in his hand. Yami was just as speechless as he too stared at the Necklace. Was it a vision of the past, or the future? What did it mean?

"Yugi!" Solomon called again, jolting him and Yami out of their daze.

"Coming!" Yugi called back distractedly, heading for the door again, still staring the Necklace. He padded downstairs to the kitchen where the phone was waiting for him. His grandpa must have left it to attend the shop. Yugi grimaced at his own lack of courtesy, comforted slightly at Yami's silent reassurances.

He picked up the phone as he slipped the Necklace in his pocket. "Hello?"

"Hey, Yug!" the person on the other end greeted enthusiastically, "Did I wake you? You're usually up by now."

"Hey, Joey," Yugi smiled, easily recognizing the voice and mannerisms of his best friend, "I was up, I just…" he hesitated, debating on whether or not to tell Joey that the Necklace had given him a vision. "I got distracted for a minute," he settled on, hoping Joey wouldn't question it too much. "What's up?"

"I'd be distracted all the time if I had a spirit living in my head too," Joey laughed, "I don't know how you do it."

Yugi chuckled, glad that his friends were taking Yami's confirmed existence so well. Of course, they knew about the Pharaoh from everything that happened in Battle City, but it wasn't until recently that it really hit them that Yugi and Yami were separate people.

"It's not so bad," Yugi replied with a bit of teasing towards Yami, "But you didn't answer my question."

"Right," Joey said, suddenly getting more serious, "You have all of the Millennium Items, right?"

"Last I checked," Yugi answered with a worried glance at Yami who shared his concern, "With the exception of the two Shadi has. What happened?"

"It might have just been my imagination," Joey started, "But I ran into Bakura, not the evil spirit guy, when I was getting snacks for us today. I could have sworn I saw the Ring around his neck again."

With a nod of permission, Yami took control of Yugi's body, "From what I understand about the Ring, is that it chooses its master and goes to them whenever it wants. That's how it kept finding its way back to Bakura and allowing the spirit to take over. But as far as I know, the spirit inside was destroyed by Malik's dark side during Battle City."

"You think the Ring just got bored?" Joey asked incredulously. If only he applied those critical thinking skills to his school work.

"Perhaps," Yami allowed, "We will double check what we have and talk with Bakura if necessary."

"Do you think the evil spirit could come back?" Joey asked concerned.

"...I suppose it's possible," Yami hedged, "We've certainly seen stranger things, but I think it's unlikely. You shouldn't need to worry about this anymore. We will take care of it."

"What kinda friend would I be if I let you tackle something potentially dangerous like this on your own?" Joey asked in his usual jovial manner.

"A smart one," Yami joked back, though there was underlying honesty in his voice.

"I'd rather be stupid," Joey retorted. Both Yugi and Yami knew he meant that with ever fiber of his being. "Don't tell Tristen I said that. He'll mock me for weeks."

Yami chuckled, "Sure. Stay dry and we'll see you this afternoon."

* * *

"Oi, Yugi! What's this I hear about Bakura maybe having the Ring back?"

Tristen's first words as he entered the Muto residence were not ones Yugi had expected to hear. Yami scowled in his spectral form at Joey who came in right behind him looking sheepish.

"The Ring is upstairs in my bag," Yugi assured them, ignoring Yami's irritation, "Joey probably just saw Bakura wearing a necklace or something."

"Well that's a relief," Tea sighed, "For a moment, I thought we weren't going to get a break from the crazy."

"I'm personally hoping the crazy never shows its face around here again," Joey declared, holding up the bags he brought, "By the way, here's the food."

"You didn't have to, Joey," Yugi said.

"Yes he did," Tristen jumped on the blond, "He can't go five minutes outside a duel without eating."

Joey turned to grab at Tristen for that but missed. The two boys ended up on the ground wrestling it out, all while throwing insults at each other.

"Boys!" Tea tried to break them up, though she was beyond used to it by now.

"Let them work it out of their system," Yugi chuckled at their antics, though he was careful to keep his distance lest he be pulled into it. "Maybe they'll behave the rest of the day."

"Oi!" Joey's voice protested from somewhere in the pile of arms and legs.

The two boys managed to get themselves untangled and they all made themselves comfortable in the living room. For hours they just sat and talked about anything and everything unrelated to the trials they had just gone through. Yugi revelled in the normality of it all. It was nice when they could pretend they were just normal teenagers who _didn't_ just get done with saving the world... _again._

The sky finally decided to dump rain over the city, so they stayed in the living room watching whatever they could find on television.

"That looks amazing!" Joey exclaimed as the trailer for the newest alien movie played.

"It looks predictable and unnecessarily violent," Tea argued, arms crossed in disgust.

Tristen waved her off, "It's a guy thing. Right, Yug?"

"I don't know," Yugi said hesitantly, "It seems like this theme has just been run into the ground lately. Aliens come, nearly destroy the world, the world is saved at the last minute through some highly improbable means. It's becoming redundant."

"So it's a tie," Joey groaned before getting a mischievous look in his eye as he glanced at Yugi.

Yugi pretended not to notice, wary of whatever Joey might be planning. "It's not something that can be decided in a vote," he argued, "It's simply a matter of opinion."

"Sure it can," Tristen said, sharing Joey's look, "We need to know who's right here."

"And we know who can break the tie." The two boys pounced.

"Eep!" Yugi squeaked as he was tackled, knocking over the chair he sat in.

"Let us talk to the Pharaoh," Tristen grinned as they pinned the small boy down, "We want his opinion."

 _'Well?'_ Yugi asked silently.

 _'Might as well,'_ Yami sighed good naturedly, _'At the very least I can get them off of you.'_

Yami quickly took over, "You can just ask you know," he said with a raised eyebrow. Joey and Tristen recoiled in shock, though Joey less so and managed to keep him pinned. What did they think was going to happen? "You don't have to tackle my hikari any time you need to speak with me. In fact, I prefer if you don't."

"Who?"

' _They don't know about that yet,'_ Yugi reminded Yami from his soul room.

' _Should we tell them?'_ Yami asked uncertainly. Bakura's and Malik's dark sides did not paint his existence in a good light. Would his friends be able to look past that? Or would that suddenly explain to them the 'real reason' Yami played the Seal back then?

' _Only if you want,'_ Yugi assured, trying to ease the anxiety threatening to break through the Pharaoh's composure.

' _I'm not sure I want to see their reactions,'_ Yami admitted, ' _Not after what happened in California.'_

' _They won't hold that against you,'_ Yugi said, ' _They've seen too many of your actions to know you are not like Bakura's or Malik's yamis.'_

The phone ringing brought Yami back to the present. ' _Twice today?'_ Yugi asked bemused. Joey let Yami up so he could answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Pharaoh?" the voice on the other end recognizable in a heartbeat.

"Ishizu," Yami greeted back, "Is something wrong? Yugi and I weren't expecting to hear from you for a week or so."

Joey, Tristen, and Tea had their undivided attention on the conversation from the moment Yami identified the caller. They were just as eager to help Yami get his memories back as Yugi was and Ishizu held the tablet to do that. Tea more than any of them as she had been there when Yami found the first clue about his past.

"Are you alone?" she ignored the question, "What I have to tell you needs to remain secret."

Yami glanced at his friends, sensing Yugi's hesitance to keep anything from them. ' _Let's hear it first,'_ Yugi suggested, ' _We can tell them later if we need to.'_

"Hold on," Yami told her, walking into the kitchen and closing the door behind him. He ignored the concerned looks the others were giving each other at his behavior.

' _Should I go to my soul room?'_ Yugi asked.

"It's just Yugi with me now," Yami told Ishizu.

"Good. This concerns him as well. It actually concerns everyone with a link to Egypt or an Item," she rambled.

"Ishizu, what's going on?" Yami asked concerned, Ishizu _never_ rambled. Whatever her news was, it had to be big.

He heard her take a deep breath before saying, "Malik and I were doing some research and discovered a hidden chamber, forgotten by the line of tomb keepers. Inside, we came across a scroll, many scrolls in fact, that talked about Shadow Mages."

The vision ran through Yugi and Yami's minds. "Shadow Mages? People who…"

"Use the powers of the Shadow Realm?" Ishizu finished for him, "Yes, they are."

Yugi heaved a sigh, ' _Great. More people bent on world domination. Can't we ever catch a break?'_

"Who are they and how do we stop them?" Yami asked, resigned to saving the world once more.

"... _That's_ what we need to talk about…"

* * *

 **And we're off on a new adventure! I know there's not a whole lot of build up to the introduction of the Shadow Mages, but they're kinda the whole point of this fic and we have a** ** _lot_** **to get through.**

 **Updates may take a bit longer for this story than my last one, but I'm going to** ** _try_** **to keep my every-other-week schedule. No promises.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. The Great Escape

**Welcome back! I've managed to get some more writing done, but I still give no promises on consistent updates. Of course, this _will_ get finished and then we can move onto the sequel ;). For now, let's see what Ishizu has to say.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The others sat in the living room, waiting with baited breath for the Pharaoh to return. Abrupt behavior was not unheard of with him, but he didn't usually exclude them from.

Fifteen minutes into their wait, Joey could take it no more and pressed an ear to the kitchen door. Low murmurs greeted him, telling him that at least the Pharaoh was still in there and discussing something of great importance. Why else would he have left the room?

"Can you hear what their talking about?" Tea whispered, deciding they could be yelled at later.

Joey shook his head as he listened harder, trying to catch any stray words he could, but couldn't make anything out over the sound of rain hitting the roof. "I think the Pharaoh's still in control," he said, "That's about all I can tell."

"What do you think it's about?" Tristen asked as Joey rejoined them.

"Must be about the tablet," Tea answered, "The Pharaoh said it was Ishizu on the phone. That's the only reason I can think of that she'd be calling."

"But he said they weren't expecting to hear anything for a week," Joey argued, "Something big must have happened."

"You don't think anything happened to the tablet do you?" Tea asked worriedly.

"Maybe it's good news," Tristen said optimistically, "Maybe things got ready early."

"Maybe…" Tea agreed hesitantly. She couldn't shake the feeling that the call was bad news though. "Why would he leave the room then?"

Nobody had an answer to that and they fell back into silence, letting the TV run in the background. Tristen watched it in silence while Tea checked her phone. It didn't feel right to do much of anything while Yugi wasn't there. It was his home after all. Another thirty minutes passed before Joey stood abruptly and switched off the colorful commercial that was playing. If the scowl he was wearing was anything to go by, he wasn't happy about not knowing what was going on in the other room.

"Try listening again," Tristen suggested, noticing the look on his friends face and deciding to not complain about the TV, "Maybe you'll hear something this time."

Joey shot Tristen a look before pressing his ear against the door once more. This time, only silence greeted him. He frowned and pressed harder on the door, hoping to hear _something_. Nothing. He put his hand on the knob.

"What are you doing?" Tea hissed.

"I don't hear anything in there," Joey answered seriously, cracking the door and peering into the kitchen. It was deserted. "Where'd he go?!" he demanded, throwing the door wide open.

Tristen and Tea hurried over to witness what Joey saw. The kitchen was completely empty and the phone was left abandoned on the table. "Bad news then," Tristen said in a low voice, "Maybe he went out the shop. I'll check with Mr. Moto." He crossed the kitchen to the stairs that led to the store and disappeared down them.

"He couldn't have gone far," Tea reasoned, leaning on the sink, "He didn't come by us and the shop is the only other way out. Maybe Mr. Muto just needed his help for a moment."

"Maybe," Joey allowed, but he wasn't convinced. Yugi would have let them know if that was the case rather than just leave them waiting. In fact, Yugi would have told them he needed some time rather than just leaving like this. The Pharaoh must have acted impulsively and it must have been to terrible news.

Tristen return a moment later, "Yugi's not downstairs and Mr. Muto says he hasn't seen him. It's been a slow day because of the weather so he definitely didn't miss him in a crowd."

"Then where did he go?" Joey challenged, "He didn't go by us and he didn't go by Gramps. Those are the only ways out of this room!"

Realization struck Tea and she slowly turned towards the window that sat above the sink. "Not the _only_ way," she corrected, dumbstruck.

The boys caught what she was saying and rushed over to look out the window. There was a ledge leading to a slope that stop a good distance from the ground, but low enough that someone _could_ safely jump should they need to.

"No way," Joey denied, "There's no way Yugi would leave through the kitchen window, or let the Pharaoh do something so stupid. Even if it wasn't raining. He's smarter than that."

"It must have been some pretty bad news Ishizu had," Tristen said sadly.

"Well we're finding him!" Joey declared, climbing onto the counter to crawl out the window.

"Or we can just leave through the door," Tea reminded him, crossing her arms with disapproval.

"You guys do that," Joey said, a determined glint in his eye, "I want to see just how badly Yugi wanted to leave without anyone knowing."

"Meet you on the ground," Tristen waved as he and Tea headed towards the back door.

"Be careful," Tea gave one last warning as she disappeared.

Joey waved them off distractedly. His sole focus now was figuring out to what lengths Yugi or the Pharaoh went to in order to get out of this kitchen.

Carefully, he climbed through the window and shut it behind him. Shuffling along the edge, he reached the sloping roof. It was slippery from the rain, so he had to move slowly. Halfway down, he noticed a window that looked into the living room the three of them had been sitting in. Surely they would have noticed if Yugi had passed by it, wouldn't they?

Joey thought back. He recalled thinking he'd seen something flash outside the window, but a flock of birds had been passing. At the time, he dismissed it, but now, he realized that it _could_ have been Yugi. The rain had obscured the window after all.

Finally, he reached the edge. It was still about an eight foot drop to the ground. Tristen and Tea were already there waiting for him.

"Any luck?" Tristen called with a bit of mocking.

"Shut up," Joey growled, "Is there a ladder around?"

Tristen check nearby, "No," he reported, eyeing the drop dubiously.

"There has to be!"

"Maybe Mr. Muto just missed him. I don't think Yugi could get down from there without a ladder."

"What about the Pharaoh?" Tea asked.

Joey held onto the edge and carefully lowered himself down to the ground. "What do you mean?" he asked once he was down.

"The Pharaoh could have probably done that," she clarified, "He's a bit more agile than Yugi is."

"We won't know until we find him and ask," Joey answered.

"And then strangle him for leaving us like that," Tristen tacked on.

The three of them set off down the street that ran behind the store, trying to follow their friend who hadn't left a trail behind.

* * *

Yugi sat on a bench in a deserted part of the park soaked to the bone. In his desire to leave quickly, Yami had neglected to grab an umbrella or any sort of protection from the rain. Fortunately, the rain had stopped just as it was getting dark out.

 _Darkness_. If Ishizu's words were true, then both he and Yami would use and monitor the very darkness they fought so often. The vision the Necklace gave this morning made much more sense now, but it was a future neither of them wanted.

 _(Flashback)_

" _What do you mean_ we're _the Shadow Mages?" Yami demanded, keeping his voice low. He could practically hear Ishizu's wince at his tone._

" _The scrolls we found say that those who are connected to an Item are the Guardians of the Shadows," she said, "You and Yugi are about as connect to the Puzzle as you can get. Plus you are the Pharaoh. The very one who once locked away the powers of the Shadows. It seems logical that you be the one to rule over them as you once did."_

 _The vision flashed through his mind. "The Shadows have caused us nothing but trouble," he argued, shaking his head of the image, "Those who use them have turned evil and you expect us to follow the same path?"_

" _No," Ishizu corrected, "Those who have been_ overtaken _by the Shadows have turned evil."_

" _What's the difference?" Yami growled._

" _Malik and I asked the same thing," Ishizu answered. A rustling sound told Yugi and Yami that she was looking through what were probably the newly discovered scrolls. "Apparently if someone wields an Item they are not supposed to have, or misuses the Shadows power, the Shadows overtake that individual, driving them mad. However, with a proper bond with an Item, the powers of the Shadows can be safely used. A mutual relationship is created between the Shadows and the Guardian. It explains what happened to Malik and why the Spirit of the Ring is so hostile."_

" _So it's_ how _the Items are used that determine if the user is 'overtaken'?"_

" _Yes. The Shadows seek fairness and justice above everything. It would be your job as a Shadow Mage to ensure that these things are protected and carried out. If the Shadows are misused, they will seek it out themselves."_

' _Maybe she has it wrong,' Yugi said hopefully, 'Maybe_ we _aren't who the scrolls refer to. You don't have any memories of how the Shadows work. How can we hope to control them?'_

" _Are you sure it's us, Ishizu?" Yami questioned, "Those scrolls have been lost for a long time. They could be talking about anybody. Besides, the other Items don't have owners anymore."_

" _I cannot imagine anyone else who would fit this role," Ishizu said, "You have passed so many trials that if you weren't a part of this, I would be amazed."_

' _What trials?' Yugi wondered._

" _What trials?" Yami repeated._

" _You stopped Pegasus from misusing the power he'd been given. You stopped my brother when he'd been consumed and even brought him back to the light. You conquered your own darkness in America -"_

" _How did you know about that?" Yami cut her off. How many people knew about the worst mistake he'd ever made?_

" _Shadi told us," she sounded confused, "He also told us about what happened in India."_

"Shadi _was around?! And what do you mean 'us'?"_

" _Just Malik and myself," Ishizu said, "Odion has no idea. But Shadi also is a guardian of your secrets, Pharaoh. He is bound by fate to help you recover your memories just as we are. Though it wouldn't surprise me if he knew about this the whole time."_

" _Me neither," Yami sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Where does Yugi fall in all of this?"_

"You _are the Pharaoh and Yugi is the lighter half of your soul. A perfect representation of the Shadows."_

" _What's that supposed to mean?" Yami demanded with a low, threatening growl._

" _Shadows cannot exist without light," Ishizu explained, "If there is no light, then it is just darkness. Your relationship with Yugi reflects this perfectly. Just as you are part of this, so is he."_

 _Yami went still, resisting the urge to break something. Wasn't the plan for him to get his memories back and then use those to find a way to rest? When did_ Yugi, _the purest soul he'd ever met, using the Shadows that only brought them misery become part of it?_

' _We'll be okay,' Yugi promised, though he didn't sound too sure himself, 'If this is our next step, we can make it through together.'_

" _You said this needed to remain secret," Yami remembered, "And I can certainly understand why this should not become any form of public knowledge, but we can hardly hide this from our friends. Especially if we're expected to use this...power."_

" _You must!" Ishizu said, suddenly vehement, "There are many other things you must know, but I will send you scrolls for those. Your existence, both of you, depends on this secret."_

" _Do you mean to tell me that Yugi's life might be in danger because of this?" Yami demanded. Of course he wouldn't care about his own safety, only that of his hikari._

" _Once your power begins to manifest, there will be those who will try to take that power from you. They may not even realize what it is they seek exactly, but they will target those close to you to get it. The less people who know about it, the safer everyone will be."_

" _I don't even_ want _this!" Yami argued._

" _It may not even be soon," Ishizu tried to calm the king, "It may take years before the Shadows are ready. I thought you should be aware though for when it does happen."_

 _Next to him, Yugi had gone quiet and still. Yami refused to believe that the innocent soul beside him would control the darkness they both hated._

 _Ishizu took Yami's silence as permission to continue, "I also think it best to wait on recovering your memories. This new development could have adverse effects on that; perhaps this is the reason your first attempt failed. The tablet will remain safe, I promise you that. For now, I will be sending you some of the information we found that will guide you in your next steps. The first one should be arriving in a day or so."_

 _Unable to hear anymore, hung up the phone, glaring at the wall. Yugi's face was haunted and Yami could sense him trying to make sense of everything. Would fate ever be done with them?_

 _(End flashback)_

"We have to lie to our friends don't we?" Yugi asked in a small voice, breaking the silence that reigned for hours.

Yami phased out next to him, let out a deep sigh and nodded. His body sagged with released tension and he sat himself on the bench next to Yugi. ' _For now. It's the only way to protect them.'_

"How can we do that? They'll know in an instant if we lie to them."

' _We lied earlier about the Ring,'_ Yami gently reminded him.

"The Ring _was_ in our bag," Yugi denied, "It could have gotten shifted around when I pulled out the Necklace this morning. That was just waiting for more evidence before we all overreacted."

Yami was silent as he thought it over. As much as he wanted to comfort his light right now and tell him everything would be okay, he couldn't. They both knew it would be a lie.

' _We tell them something to distract them until we get things better sorted out,'_ Yami finally said, ' _Something they won't think too much about.'_

' _Like what?'_ Yugi switched to the mind-link as some joggers passed, barely giving him a glance. Fortunately, the citizens of the city were so familiar with his presence that his status as King of Games hardly attracted attention anymore.

' _I don't know,'_ Yami admitted.

' _They're going to have so many questions when we return,'_ Yugi sighed, ' _They've probably already guessed it has something to do with the Millennium Items considering we let them know it was Ishizu on the phone.'_

' _...perhaps we can use that to our advantage.'_

Yugi looked up curiously, ' _What do you mean?'_

' _The Puzzle is a mystery, even to me,'_ Yami explained, ' _We can tell our friends that something came up that prevents me from seeking my memories for a while. At least until we understand more about the Puzzle. It's not entirely a lie and believable enough to explain my behavior.'_

Yugi was silent for a moment, mulling it over. He shook his head, ' _I don't like the idea of using you as a scapegoat.'_

' _Then what do you propose we do?'_

' _I don't know,'_ Yugi muttered, ' _My mind is blank right now.'_

' _I know,'_ Yami said gently, ' _I don't mind being our excuse right now. Not if it helps protect our friends.'_

' _Do you think they'll believe it?'_

"Yugi!" a familiar voice called, breaking through their conversation.

' _We're about to find out,'_ Yami said as Tea, Tristen, and Joey ran towards them, ' _I can take over if you want.'_

' _Thanks,'_ Yugi said gratefully.

* * *

Joey was the first to reach him, stopping in front of him and doubled over to catch his breath. Yami waited patiently for him to recover and for the verbal onslaught that was coming his way while Tristen and Tea caught up.

"We've been looking everywhere for you," Tea sounded relieved.

"I apologize," Yami answered sincerely, "I...needed some time to think."

"You coulda told us," Joey said a bit sourly as he straightened, but understanding the desire.

"What did Ishizu say?" Tristen asked. Tea rebuked him with an elbow to the ribs and a stern glare.

Yami hesitated and looked away. Just because it was for their own safety, it didn't make lying any easier.

Tea sat next to him, trying to meet his eyes, "Did something happen with the tablet?"

"The tablet is fine," Yami answered, not looking at her, "I...won't be able to go after my memories for a while yet."

Understanding and surprise took over their faces. His behavior was certainly more understandable now. After all, he'd been chasing his memories for a long time now. Heck, that was the only reason he even entered Battle City.

"Not because of what happened last time?" Joey asked incredulously.

"Not exactly," Yami sighed, "Ishizu found some information that...complicates things. She found some scrolls that indicate to recover my memories successfully, I need to know more about the Millennium Puzzle and how it works."

"I thought that knowledge was locked away?" Tea asked confused.

"At least the Puzzle seems like one of the safer Items," Joey said, trying to cheer them up, "You and Yug are pretty smart. I'm sure it won't take you guys too long. And with the other Items with you guys, we're probably not going to run into many more crazy people."

Yami tensed before he forced himself to relax. The Items would likely be finding new owners soon, but he didn't even have an estimate of who or when. He'd have to have an excuse ready for when they did.

"Achoo!"

The sneeze caused the others to jump and Yami to sit like a deer in the headlights. That was when they finally took a good look at him.

"You're soaked through!" Tea accused, "Are you _trying_ to get Yugi sick?"

Yugi quickly took over, shivering slightly as the cool air went straight through his wet clothes. "Not his fault," he defended.

' _I could have stopped to grab something,'_ Yami admitted.

' _And I could have stopped you from jumping out the window,'_ Yugi reminded him, ' _We both wanted to leave quickly.'_

"Let's get you home," Tea hauled him to his feet, ignoring him, "Last thing we need is you getting a cold."

"Besides," Tristen came up beside him, "Your grandpa is probably wondering where you are."

Yugi groaned at the reminder that his grandpa was going to have a lot of questions for him. Resigning himself to his fate, he allowed his friends to lead him home; towards dry clothes and a warm bed.

* * *

 **So Yugi and Yami are _not_ amused with their fate. How long can they keep up the charade? **

**I'm going to _try_ to update in two weeks, but it might be three. I'm hoping to get a fair amount of writing done over spring break, but I also have lesson planning to do during that time as well, so we'll see.**

 **Please review!**


	3. Court Beginnings

**Welcome back everybody! I did not get as much writing done on this story as I would have liked in the past week. In fact, I barely got this story up today. Don't be surprised if two weeks go by and there's no update. I promise you I _am_ still working on this and _will_ finish.**

 **Anyway, on with the plot!**

* * *

" _Achoo!"_

' _Sorry,'_ Yami apologized for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Sure enough, Yugi had caught a cold from being out in the rain for so long and was now stuck in bed. It was a mild cold and would likely go away within a couple days or so, but still enough to keep him here.

Somehow, Yami was able to explain the situation to Yugi's grandpa, apologizing profusely for getting his grandson sick, all while pacifying the old man. It was a wonder Solomon hadn't done anything more than send him off to bed with little more than a slight scolding, especially after Yami's stunt with the roof.

His friends had stopped by that morning to check on him, only for his grandpa to tell them he was sick. They'd then promised to stop by later that afternoon, when his grandpa would let them up the stairs.

" _Achoo!"_

' _Sorry,'_ Yami apologized again.

"If you apologize one more time I'm going to block you out," Yugi threatened.

Yami quieted, having already tried arguing that it was his fault and got told off. It turned out that Yugi could be quite vicious when he was sick, not that Yami could blame him right now. He could sense how miserable his hikari was.

"Don't," Yugi cut Yami off just as he opened his mouth.

' _I was just going to suggest that you rest,'_ Yami said, ' _It'll make time go by faster.'_

"Shut up," Yugi muttered, pulling the blankets over his head.

Yami couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his antics. He perched himself on the edge of the bed, looking at the pile that was his hikari, but did not say anything. The more rest Yugi got now, the faster he would get better.

It wasn't long-lived. A knock at the door almost an hour later pulled Yugi from his almost slumber. There was only one person it could be at this time of day. "Come in, Grandpa," Yugi called. At least he had gotten some rest. Yami noticed that he looked a bit better too.

The old man poked his head around the door as Yugi sat up for his company. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Yugi stuck his tongue out at that and sneezed once more, causing Solomon to give a dry chuckle. "That's what you get for running around in the rain for hours," he scolded lightly.

"I know," Yugi looked properly sheepish.

Yami winced at that. ' _Sor-'_

' _Don't you dare,'_ Yugi cut him off before turning his attention back to his grandpa, "Was there something you needed?"

"This package was just delivered," he opened the door wider to reveal the flat package he was holding, "The postmarks are from Egypt." Both Yugi and Yami froze. Just how quickly did Ishizu get things out? Solomon noticed his grandson tense at that. "Is it something to do with the Pharaoh?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I can't image it would be anything else," Yugi sighed, holding his hand out for the package, inwardly hoping it was not what he thought it was. Luck would have it that at that moment he let out a violent sneeze.

His grandpa hesitated, "Maybe this should wait until after your cold goes away."

Yugi shook his head as he grabbed a tissue and instantly regretted the headrush that came from it, "The sooner we can take care of it, the better off we'll be."

Frowning at the cryptic statement, Solomon handed the package over. "You were expecting this?"

"No, but if it's from Egypt is probably from Ishizu and if it's from Ishizu, it probably can't wait."

His grandpa relented, "Alright, but don't spend too much time on this or you'll only make yourself worse."

"I won't," Yugi assured and was met with scepticism.

"You'd better be resting in an hour or I won't let your friends up to see you later," he threatened and left the room.

' _He's right you know,'_ Yami said once the door was closed, ' _This can wait.'_

' _You're just as curious as I am,'_ Yugi countered, carefully opening the box.

' _If it's anything to do with what we talked about yesterday, I don't want to know,'_ Yami relented.

"Um…"

Yami looked over to see Yugi holding what looked like to be a rather old manuscript. None of it was bound and there were more loose pages in the box.

' _What's wrong?'_

"Why can I read this?" Yugi whispered.

Confused, Yami took a look at the papers. They were written in ancient hieroglyphs, the same kind that Malik had carved into his back. It wasn't until after he had glanced through the first page that Yami realized the same thing as his hikari.

' _I can read it too,'_ Yami answered, stunned. He hadn't been able to read whatever Malik had on his back, so why should he be able to read this now?

"But how?" Yugi implored, "How can I read this so plainly when I have never studied this language?"

' _I don't know. I know I was able to read it at one point, but I don't remember.'_

"Do you think that maybe your memories are returning?"

' _I doubt it,'_ Yami said dejectedly.

"Ishizu knows that neither of us know how to read this. Or at least we didn't. Why would she send us raw copies rather than translated ones?"

' _I wish I had an answer. We can call and ask later. Let's read through these first; maybe some of our questions will be answered.'_

"Not likely," Yugi grumbled, turning his focus to the first page.

* * *

The first few pages outlined the duties of a Shadow Mage. Nothing truly shocking was discovered there considering Ishizu had outlined that yesterday, it was just detailed a bit better. Yugi had a sinking suspicion that Ishizu had purposefully sent the tamer duties first until he and Yami accepted this.

It took them a couple hours to get through it, and despite his earlier threat, when Solomon had checked on him after an hour and noticed the intense look of concentration on his grandson's face, he left without a word.

Yugi and Yami had not noticed the door open and shut quietly as they continued to pour over the information Ishizu had sent. The next few pages certainly interested the pair more. They included what to expect as the Shadow Mages appeared in the world.

"It says the Items will choose new bearer sand those are the ones who will become Shadow Mages,," Yugi read with a worried glance at Yami. "Do you think the Puzzle will do that?"

' _I doubt it,'_ Yami replied, ' _The Puzzle spent eight years with you before it picked you to be its bearer and thousands more amongst people it decided were unworthy. If I have passed my own trials as Ishizu believes, then you have certainly passed yours.'_

"I guess that's a relief," Yugi sighed, "I haven't been dealing with crazy people for the last few years for nothing."

' _Does it say anything about the types of people we are to expect to join us?'_

Yugi turned his focus back to the page he held, brow furrowed in concentration. "Nothing about the _types_ of people. Though it says that they will form the 'Shadow Court', whatever that means."

' _If I am to remain a pharaoh, then I suppose it would make sense to have a court to help make important decisions. One man cannot fairly rule alone.'_

"That makes sense I guess," Yugi said around yet another sneeze, "There's also something here about helping the Items find their owners. How are we supposed to do that?!"

' _We have the Ring,'_ Yami suggested, ' _It finds whatever the owner desires.'_

"But we are not the Ring's owner," Yugi argued, "Just its keeper until it claims a new owner. It won't work for us."

' _I suppose we'll have to do some research then. Later though.'_

"Another thing to ask Ishizu about," Yugi agreed, setting aside that paper to pick up another. "Shadow Training," he read aloud.

Yami narrowed his eyes at that. He still did not like the idea of Yugi using that kind of power.

"It's not all bad," Yugi said through another sneeze. It was easy to guess what Yami was thinking, "This part here explains how the Shadows can be used to travel."

' _How does that work?'_ Yami asked, curious in spite of himself.

"Seems that if you're in the Shadow Realm, you can travel anywhere a shadow is. So virtually anywhere," Yugi read, "It _is_ its own realm, so I suppose the rules that apply here don't apply there. But I thought that whoever summoned the Shadow Realm was the one to set the rules?"

' _Only if they're playing a game,'_ Yami corrected, ' _It would make sense if there were set rules for that realm considering it must exist when games are not being played.'_

"This would be good to look into in any case," Yugi set aside the paper holding those instructions in favor of another, "Oh. Speaking of games…"

Yami leaned over with a bit of apprehension. Yugi's tone had been a bit _too_ casual. ' _Yami no Games?!'_ Yami exclaimed, ' _We are expected to play Yami no Games?!"_

"We've played Yami no Games before," Yugi pointed out, " _You've_ even initiated them."

' _That was long before you and I were the team we are today. Back then, all I cared about was keeping you safe and happy and I would do anything to make that happen.'_

"So what exactly is the purpose of a Yami no Game?" Yugi asked, curiously reading through the manuscript in search of an answer.

' _Um…'_ Yami didn't really have an answer for his lighter half. He used them to punish those who hurt Yugi, but he used them like a reflex, without really understanding the true purpose.

"I know they're not always duels, just the ones I have actively known about," Yugi continued, "Considering the Items have been around since Ancient Egypt, modern duels can't be the standard. And not everybody back then could summon monsters, so there must be something more to them."

Yami stared in amazement at the casual way Yugi rationalized his thoughts. Yami no Games were some of the hardest and darkest duels they'd ever been in, always with a psychotic twist to them, and Yugi was looking for a way to _understand_ them better.

' _You truly are amazing, Hikari,'_ Yami marveled, ' _Even in one of the darkest things we have experienced, you look for light.'_

"If it's something we're going to have to use, I don't believe destiny would require it if it entirely evil," Yugi explained, "Just as Ishizu said the Shadows themselves are not pure darkness, perhaps Yami no Games have been misused all this time so that we only see the dark side of them."

Their conversation was cut off by a scuffle coming up the stairs. Yugi quickly closed the box as parts of an argument floated through his closed door for him to hear.

"-me go!"

"Not a chance," Joey's voice carried easily through the door. The response to that was so low that Yugi couldn't catch it, but it prompted Joey to respond with, "And if you do you'll have an angry Pharaoh to deal with. Yugi's sick right now so he'll be twice as pissed."

' _I thought they weren't coming until after this afternoon?'_ Yugi said surprised.

Yami glanced over at the clock, ' _It's been longer than you think,'_ he answered, wondering why Yugi's grandpa hadn't interrupted them hours ago, ' _We've been looking at that stuff for quite a while.'_ The argument had switched to hushed whispers right outside his door.

' _If I pretend I'm asleep, do we have to deal with this?'_ Yugi asked, not in the mood to be dealing with whatever drama Joey was bringing.

' _I'll take over,'_ Yami said, ' _This sounds important.'_

They switched places just as the door swung open and Bakura stumbled in, Millennium Ring swinging innocently from his neck. Behind him, Joey and Tristen stood aggressively, apparently having shoved him in. Tea stood behind them with a disapproving look on her face, but she wasn't saying anything.

Immediately, Yami could tell this was the Spirit of the Ring, and not the hikari. When the Spirit spoke, however, it was a perfect imitation of his counterpart. "Yugi, I have no idea how I got this!" he pleaded as Yami rose to his feet, swaying slightly as his head pounded. It occurred to him then that Yugi had been blocking most of his discomfort from him. This was awful.

"Don't start that," Tristen growled, "We all know you're not Bakura. We were all at Battle City, remember?"

' _How did he come back?'_ Yugi asked while an argument broke out in front of them.

' _I'm not sure, but if my suspicions are correct, he's been back for a little while now and hasn't cause any trouble yet. Let's see what he has to say.'_

"You threatened to send me to the Shadow Realm!" Joey insisted, "If that's not something the Evil Spirit would say I don't know what is."

"How did you even come back?" Tea finally spoke up, "I was there when Malik's evil side destroyed you."

"But you didn't witness it," Bakura growled, giving up the facade, "I have my ways."

"Don't you think you've caused enough trouble?" Tristen demanded.

"On the contrary, I don't think I've caused nearly enough."

"Enough," Yami declared before things could get out of hand, "How did you get the Ring?" he directed at Bakura.

"You know as well as I that the Ring chooses its master. With my soul inside it, it only makes sense that it would return to my weaker half."

Words Yugi had read not an hour ago floated through Yami's mind. ' _No way!'_ Yugi argued, picking up Yami's thoughts, ' _There is no way_ he's _part of this!'_

' _I agree,'_ Yami said darkly, ' _We need to get to the bottom of this.'_

" _What the hell is going on, Pharaoh?"_ Bakura asked in a low voice, meeting Yami's gaze. His eyes held no malice, but a demand for answers. " _I haven't caused any trouble and yet your little friends saw fit to basically kidnap my host."_

" _Considering what happened last time they saw you, you expected something different?"_ Yami retorted, oblivious to the fact Bakura had spoken a different language and that he had responded in kind. He also didn't notice the surprised looks on his friends faces.

" _I expected them to be a bit more understanding considering what_ you _did."_

" _And what did I do?"_ Yami growled, poised to strike. Though he had a sinking suspicion that he knew what Bakura was talking about.

" _You should really advise your friends to be more discreet when they talk about sensitive topics,"_ Bakura mocked, " _I heard all about what happened in America. Were this another time, I would congratulate you."_

If looks could kill, Bakura would be dead ten times over from the look Yami was giving him. His friends looked uneasily between him and Bakura, not knowing what was going on, but knowing the look on Yami's face.

"No dueling," Tea declared, misinterpreting the atmosphere in the room, "Not while Yugi's sick."

"A duel is the furthest thing from my mind right now," Yami assured gruffly, still glaring at Bakura, "Do you guys mind waiting outside? There are some things I need to discuss with Bakura."

"Not a chance," Joey folded his arms, "We can't understand you guys are saying anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Yami demanded, shifting his gaze to the blond.

"Whatever language you two were just talkin' in," Joey elaborated, "Didn't know you spoke more than one."

Bakura chuckled at the stunned expression on Yami's face. "The Pharaoh's latent memories are surfacing. Language is one of the most ingrained things in the mind. It's rather hard to _forget."_

"Lay off," Tristen growled in Yami defense.

The white-haired spirit huffed in frustration, eyeing Yami carefully. "Enough of this," he muttered, just loud enough to hear. The familiar cloud of the Shadow Realm began to cover him and crept towards Yami.

"Hey!" he heard Joey exclaim just before they were completely enveloped.

"What's going on?" Yami demanded, looking around, though he knew what sights would greet him. Endless shifting darkness moved around them, but it felt different than every other time he and Yugi had been brought here.

 _Why does it feel...comforting?_ Yami wondered, scaring himself with the thought.

Across from him, the spirit regarded Yami blandly, however, he had more surprises in store for the Pharaoh. Separating from him, into his own form, was Ryou Bakura. "I'm sure you're familiar with my host."

* * *

 **And there we go, the plot thickens. Yugi and Yami have gotten their first glimpses at what lies ahead of them and for some reason Bakura has the Ring again. I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks! ...I hope...**

 **Please review :)**


	4. Secret Meeting

**Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I'm so sorry it's taken a month to get this out! I haven't forgotten, it's just seriously taken me this long to actually get it done. No promises that the next chapter will come out any sooner though. I'd really like to have a few chapters lined up first, but we'll see how this goes.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Damn it!" Joey growled, punching the wall, "I told you we never should have brought him here!"

They had already tried to penetrate the bubble that consumed the corner of Yugi's room, only to find themselves driven back by a monster before they could even step foot into it. They were left just as helpless as they were during Duelist Kingdom, only this time they had no idea if a Duel was being played or not.

"The Pharaoh needed to know what was going on," Tristen argued, "Who knows how long he's been back? I don't know about you, but I've had more than enough evil spirits trying to take over the world for one lifetime."

"Yugi said the Ring was in his bag only yesterday," Joey wheeled around, "You think he'd lie to us?"

"No, but didn't the Pharaoh say something about the Ring coming and going?"

Joey thought back, remembering the Pharaoh saying something like that during their phone conversation yesterday, "Something along those lines, yeah."

"Well what's to say that it's just been showing up in Yugi's bag whenever he checks for it?"

"How would it know when Yugi checked?" Tea challenged.

Tristen had to ponder that for a moment, "I don't know," he finally said, "But with all the bizarre things that happen whenever those things are involved, I wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened."

The trio fell silent. They could not deny the strange things they had witnessed, even within the past few weeks. When magic was involved, Tristen's theory was not so far-fetched. Joey paced the room agitatedly, Tea sent anxious glances between him and the shadowy bubble that concealed their friend, and Tristen glared at the floor.

A few minutes later, the Shadows began to dissipate, putting them all on high alert. When the Shadows finally cleared, the Pharaoh was still glaring at the evil spirit who looked thoughtful.

"I'll stay out of the way for now," the spirit growled, pushing his way past Joey and Tristen, "But don't let your guard down."

"Yug, you're just letting him go?" Joey implored as the spirit disappeared down the stairs.

The Pharaoh didn't answer right away, opting instead to sit on the bed instead in an attempt to ease the pounding in his head that had decided to make its presence known with renewed vigour.

"Are you alright?" Tea asked concerned, sitting down next to him.

"Just a headache," he assured, "The conditions of the Shadow Realm are different than the real world."

"I've only noticed a difference when I'm dueling," Joey noted, "Wait! Did that creep force you into a duel?!"

"No," Yami shook his head, regretting it instantly, "We talked."

"You...talked…" Tristen repeated, stunned, "That crazy, homicidal maniac brought you into the Shadow Realm, to _talk_?"

Yami sighed, "He is not the same as he was during Battle City. His duel with Malik destroyed part of him and I think it was the part of him that thirsted for revenge. He's still dark, but not nearly as much as before. I don't believe he's evil, though I don't trust him completely."

"Dark, evil. What's the difference?" Tristen asked disdainfully.

Yami flinched at the tone. The Puzzle flashed unexpectedly and Yugi was left in control. "Are you done passing judgement?" he snapped, taking them by surprise. Tristen must have unintentionally struck a nerve with his comment. "You gave Yami a second chance after you learned about him, how is it different with the Spirit of the Millennium Ring? Besides, the Items are either reclaiming their owners or choosing new ones. We can't help it that he's back."

That short rant left the three of them stunned, but Yugi was right. They were quick to forgive the Pharaoh of any mistakes he made in the past. But then again, the Pharaoh hadn't tried to kill them on multiple occasions.

"Don't you think you're being a bit _too_ forgiving?" Joey asked, "He's tried to kill you before!"

"Not to mention us," Tristen added.

"That was the part of him destroyed in his duel against Malik," Yugi crossed his arms, "He'll only hurt you if you do anything to hurt Bakura."

"Since when did he care about Bakura?" Joey scoffed.

"Since Battle City I guess," Yugi shrugged around another sneeze, "Being ripped away and thrust back into darkness when Malik defeated him must have put things in perspective."

None of them could really dispute that. Yugi knew best how the relationship between a person and the spirit of an Item worked, but he really only knew about himself and the Pharaoh. They could only speculate about Bakura and the spirit of the Ring based off what they were familiar with.

"Why are the Items leaving you?" Tea changed the subject, "I thought the Pharaoh needed them to get his memories back."

"Ishizu said this might happen," Yugi replied, eyes distant, "Her theory is if too much time passed after they were brought together, the Items would get impatient and find new owners. The Ring was the first to go since it comes and goes as it pleases."

"But why go back to Bakura? That guy's been through enough," Joey said.

"It's...complicated," Yugi answered, studying the Puzzle, "The spirit of the Ring is as connected to Bakura as much as the Pharaoh is to me."

"I guess that can't be helped then," Tristen relented, "You're sure he won't be causing us any trouble?"

"At least nothing on the scale of 'ending the world'," Yugi amended, "So long as nothing happens to Bakura, he shouldn't be a problem."

Silence fell among them. It was clear that none of them were particularly happy with this new development, but it was also clear that Yugi was not feeling well, so any arguments would have to wait until later.

* * *

A few days later, Yugi was feeling much better and was back to his usual routine. Except for the fact that he was no longer in possession of the Ring, everything was back to normal.

Well...everything appeared normal in any case. During the day, he went about his normal schedule: went to school, joked around with his friends, dueled a few friendly duels. However, at night after he had finished his homework and he was sure his grandpa was asleep, he and Yami worked on controlling the Shadows with the Millennium Puzzle.

It was slow work. Yami only had an instinct for how to start Yami no Games, but no real idea or understanding of how to really control the Shadows outside of that. Yami also wouldn't let Yugi try anything until he had an idea of how it worked. His logic was that if something backfired, he could take the brunt of it rather than Yugi. It frustrated Yugi to no end, but he had to admit Yami had a point. They only allowed themselves a couple hours a night as to not be overly exhausted the next day. Even with their conscious efforts, it wasn't going well.

' _I'm_ not _asking him for help!'_ Yami protested as Yugi strode along with purpose, weaving through the crowded sidewalk. His protests so far had been ignored and this one was no different.

' _He knows the best how the Shadows work right now and has proven multiple times he knows how to control them,'_ Yugi reminded him, ' _We need help with this.'_

' _We could figure it out eventually,'_ Yami tried weakly.

' _It could takes weeks, months, or even years at the rate we're going,'_ Yugi argued, ' _We might not have that kind of time. What if something happens that requires our knowledge of this but we can't do anything because we didn't ask for help?'_

' _We'd find a way out of it like we usually do.'_

' _Stop being stubborn,'_ Yugi scolded, ' _You know he's not the same as before.'_

' _That doesn't mean I trust him.'_

' _Ryou trusts him.'_

Yami's protests turned into incomprehensive grumbles as Yugi spotted their target sitting alone at a small outdoor cafe and made his way over.

"Bakura," Yugi said in a low voice, catching the other hikari's attention.

To maintain some form of anonymity, the duo had requested to be only called "Bakura" in public to remain inconspicuous. In private though, they could be distinguished between safely. Because they shared the name, the hikari would be called "Ryou" and the spirit "Bakura".

"Yugi?" Ryou turned around with a bit of confusion, but gestured to the seat in front of him as an invitation.

"We need...advice," Yugi said without preamble as he accepted Ryou'd unspoken invitation and sat down.

"Advice?"

"About the Shadows," he clarified.

Ryou grew nervous, glancing around for anyone who might overhear them. People milled around them, not really taking notice to the duo. A few tables over, people were staring at the King of Games, but looked away quickly as soon as they were caught.

Bakura took over, but he mimicked his hikari so well, that only Yugi and Yami noticed the difference.

"His _royal highness_ can't figure it out?" he as mockingly.

Yugi felt Yami itch to take over and give the other spirit a piece of his mind, but refused to let his dark half make a scene. Instead, Yami settled on glaring at the other spirit in his incorporeal form. "You have memories of your past," Yugi reminded Bakura, "Yami has nothing besides an instinct to protect me when it comes to the Shadows. We tried breaking down that instinct, but we have gotten nowhere. If anything, our power seems to grow more volatile the more we try to understand it. It's not safe."

"Nothing concerning the Shadows are 'safe'," Bakura scoffed.

"You know what I mean," Yugi implored.

Bakura's eyes narrowed in thought. He knew the implications if the knowledge of the power they wielded were to get out. If only Yugi and Yami suffered the repercussions, he might not have cared as much, but he and Ryou would be affected as well.

Finally, he let out a reluctant sigh. "It's too dangerous to talk here," he said, "Meet us in the park tonight. Three o'clock."

"That's pretty late," Yugi said hesitantly.

"Do you want my help or not?"

"Alright, alright," Yugi surrendered, "We'll be there. But we can't stay too late. We have school tomorrow and Grandpa wakes up early for the shop."

"Tonight will be an exchange of information then," Bakura agreed, "I tell you what I know and you tell me what you know."

"We've already shared what we know!" Yugi argued.

"Keep your voice down," Bakura scolded, "And you only shared _some_ of what you know. I know you didn't tell me everything you know about what's happening."

"How-?"

"Tonight," Bakura said firmly, handing control back to Ryou.

"I guess we'll see you tonight," Ryou said, reaching for his drink, "He's rough around the edges, but I truly believe he's on our side for good."

"You know him better than anyone," Yugi replied, standing to leave, "I trust your judgement."

* * *

 _(3:05 AM)_

"You're late," Bakura greeted gruffly, arms crossed over his chest.

Yami narrowed his eyes at the other spirit, "Well excuse me for wanting to avoid the amazing number of people that seem to be out at this hour."

"We'll work on your stealth skills another time," Bakura scoffed, "In the meantime, I believe I promised information tonight. Come over to the trees, we'll be safer in their shadows."

Yami refused to move even as Bakura walked off the path. Bakura noticed Yami wasn't following and sighed.

"Hurry up, Pharaoh!" he called, "Your hikari isn't the only one with school tomorrow. The faster we get this done, the faster we can get them back to bed and ready for the day."

' _We might as well,'_ Yugi said.

' _You brought our deck, right?'_ Yami asked.

' _Of course,'_ Yugi assured, ' _But we shouldn't have to use it. I don't think Bakura's looking for a duel right now.'_

' _He'd better not be,'_ Yami growled, moving towards Bakura cautiously.

Yami had to admit that the spot Bakura picked was pretty good. They were still able to see the trail that wound through the park, but from the trail it would be hard to spot them unless you knew what you were looking for.

"Does this place meet your approval?" Bakura asked mockingly, noticing Yami's observations of his surroundings.

"Let's just get on with this," Yami growled, "What do you know?"

Bakura frowned, but complied. "Unlike you, I have most of my memories of my past. I won't go into details now, but know that I held the Ring in Ancient Egypt and remember how to use it. Not as well as I once did, and some of its secrets are hidden from me, but well enough to control the Shadows."

"Is that why the Ring chose you again?"

"I assume so," Bakura shrugged, "Anyway, the Shadows were used as a form of judgement over criminals. As far as I know, I was never privy to that display as they were always done in the Inner Court. I was a wanted thief so I didn't visit the palace very often."

"Well that explains a lot," Yami muttered.

Bakura chuckled, "You didn't really think I just picked up those skills did you? True I was a little rusty after 5000 years, but still better than the average modern thief if I do say so myself."

"Just keep talking," Yami sighed, "What do you know about Yami no Games? We've played more than our share of them, but what exactly is their purpose?"

"Judgement," Bakura said simply.

"That makes sense I suppose," Yami said thoughtfully, "But judgement on whose terms?"

"The Shadows," Bakura shrugged, "When a Yami no Game begins, it doesn't matter who starts it, it matters who wins. It also doesn't matter the rules set in place, the Shadows will look at the souls of those playing, finding weaknesses against the rules and pulling them forward. If the people playing are able to overcome those weaknesses, they have a higher chance of success. You must have noticed this?"

"I hadn't thought of it before," Yami admitted, "But it makes sense."

"Why the sudden interest in Yami no Games? Last I checked I'm pretty sure you thought they were the spawn of pure evil."

"...Remember how I told you the Items are choosing new bearers?"

"Yes," Bakura drawled, "You also said that you needed to start learning how the Shadows worked so you could use them properly so they wouldn't be thrown into disarray again. What's your point?"

"It wasn't the whole truth." Yami took a deep breath and told him everything they had heard from Ishizu as well as what they had gathered from the documents she sent. Understanding dawned on Bakura's face as Yami talked, though he did not interrupt.

"I assume we're part of this too since the Ring came back?" he asked once Yami finished.

"That's what we think," Yami confirmed.

"And you didn't tell me before because…?"

"It was too dangerous and I didn't trust you."

Bakura smirked, "You trust me now?"

"I trust Ryou and Ryou seems to trust you," Yami countered.

"So why not tell him?"

"There have been people around every time we've met since this discovery. Our friends were there the first time. True we held our conversation in the Shadows, but I didn't know what you wanted or what you would say. It's too dangerous to let our friends know about this. Those who know are at risk of being put in harm's way by those who may not even understand what it is they're after."

"They won't be happy about that," Bakura observed.

"They're not," Yami answered, "Which is why I take the brunt of it rather than Yugi."

"So what's your excuse for the Items leaving then? Last I checked, your runt wasn't one for lies and deception."

Yami growled at the thief, almost pouncing on him for insulting Yugi, but Yugi held him back. It wouldn't be good to start a brawl in the middle of the park in the dead of night.

' _Just answer him so we can set up our next meeting and hopefully get some actual training done,'_ Yugi pleaded.

Yami sighed and complied. "We've told them that Ishizu uncovered some information that in order to recover my memories without another incident like last time, I need to know more about how the Puzzle works. As for the Items leaving, because it has taken so long, the Items are impatient and claiming new owners."

Bakura nodded his understanding. "Well, now I know what to say if they ask again."

"They won't."

Soft chimes from the clock in the town square floated through the still air. Yami and Bakura listened carefully as four tolls were counted.

"We need to get back home," Yami said.

Bakura nodded, "Meet me and Ryou back here tomorrow, same time. Bring those documents Ishizu sent you and we'll get started, for real, tomorrow."

* * *

 **There we go. Bakura officially knows what's going on and is willing to help Yugi and Yami learn about and control the Shadows. We'll see some effects of Shadow Training next time and the other Items will be claiming owners soon too.**

 **See you guys soon! (hopefully) Please review!**


	5. A Short Pause

**I'm back! Believe it or not, I've actually been doing quite a bit of writing since the last update... just not this chapter, or even this story. Would you believe I was working on the conclusion to the sequel? 'Cause I was.**

 **Anyway, it's finals week, so I'm able to focus on this a bit more. Plus I have about a month free, so hopefully I'll get a good line up of chapters ready to go.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Yug!" Joey greeted at school a few days later as Yugi walked into the classroom. Tea and Tristen were gathered around his desk, laughing at something that Joey just said.

"Morning," Yugi returned the greeting, trying to hide a yawn. He and Yami had been meeting with Bakura nightly for a while now and the late nights were starting to catch up with him. They were making great progress though.

Yugi had brought the documents Ishizu sent for Bakura to look over. He decided to start with traveling with the Shadows. It was a basic skill, just needing to be able to summon the Shadows where you needed. Yugi and Yami could currently travel a hundred yards using this method while Bakura and Ryou could travel five hundred. Yami was frustrated with that fact, but Yugi continued to remind him that Bakura had more concrete knowledge of how the Shadows worked and that they were making fast progress.

"Trouble sleeping last night?" Tristen teased as Yugi joined them.

"Yeah, something was just keeping me up," Yugi replied evasively.

"Well I hope you can stay awake during class," Joey said, "This math stuff is killing me."

"That's because you're the one who sleeps," Tea pointed out, "I don't know how you haven't failed yet."

"Give it time," Tristen said, "We've got our test tomorrow."

"I'll pull an all-nighter tonight to study," Joey said proudly.

Yami phased out while the three of them bickered over Joey's grades and study habits. ' _You didn't tell me you had an exam tomorrow. We should postpone our meeting with Ryou and Bakura if that is the case.'_

' _No,'_ Yugi argued, ' _Figuring out this Shadow stuff is just as important. I'll be fine for tomorrow.'_

' _Several nights in a row with little sleep before a test does not bode well for your grade,'_ Yami countered.

' _I'll be fine,'_ Yugi insisted, ' _You shouldn't have to worry about my grade.'_

' _You shouldn't have to worry about the Shadows and retrieving my memories, but you do.'_

' _I don't mind.'_

' _Neither do I,'_ Yami responded a bit smugly, having backed his hikari into a corner. Yugi knew better than to pull a double standard on him. ' _So we are postponing the meeting.'_

Yugi knew Yami had him, but he had to try. ' _Is it really wise to leave this until later?'_

' _I don't think postponing until after your test will be the end of the world. As you keep reminding me, we're making progress.'_

' _With our luck it just might,'_ Yugi said sourly, but resigned to Yami's logic.

' _We'll be fine,'_ Yami said victoriously.

"Earth to Yugi!"

Yugi was snapped out of his conversation by Joey's fingers snapping in his face. "Huh?"

"Everything okay?" Tristen asked.

"Yeah, sorry," Yugi gave a nervous chuckle, "I was just talking with Yami. He's worrying more about this test than I am." His friends laughed lightly at that.

' _Gee, thanks,'_ Yami said dryly, watching their friends laugh at his expense.

' _Well you were,'_ Yugi shot back.

"So, Yug, wanna help me study tonight?" Joey asked brightly, "You seem to know this stuff pretty well."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Sure, Joey, just not too late, okay?"

"Better study hard, Joey," Tea teased, "End of the year is coming up soon and you need this if you want to move up."

Joey waved her off, "Haven't failed a year yet since I became friends with Yugi," he declared, throwing an arm around Yugi's neck, "He's like a good luck charm!"

"Only if you're not trying to destroy the world," Tristen corrected, "Then he's your worst nightmare."

"Hey!" Yugi protested.

"Yugi's right," Tea defended. Yugi threw her a grateful smile before she continued, "It's the Pharaoh that's your worst nightmare."

' _Hey!'_ Yami echoed Yugi's protest, causing Yugi to laugh.

They were still laughing when Ryou entered the classroom almost unnoticed. He was almost as good as Yugi when it came to avoiding detection; only with the benefit of not being in an international spotlight and having tamer hair.

' _Let me talk to him,'_ Yami requested, suddenly serious.

' _You're really going to try to get him to cancel our training?'_ Yugi asked.

' _You just made plans for tonight,'_ Yami pointed out, ' _And you still need to be rested for tomorrow.'_

' _Fine. Don't make a scene,'_ Yugi warned, relinquishing control.

"Is something wrong?" Tea asked, noticing the change.

"No," Yami assured with a smile, "I just need to speak with Bakura for a minute."

He walked over to where the quiet boy was taking out his books and preparing for class. Apparently Bakura warned Ryou he was there as he turned to greet Yami just as he reached him.

"Bakura wants to know what's up," Ryou relayed Bakura's inquiry quietly.

Yami raised his eyebrows at that. Bakura was not one to be polite or casual, especially around him. Usually it was thinly veiled threats of some manner.

"In more or less words," Ryou amended at Yami's expression, "I'd rather not use the ones he did."

"Of course," Yami nodded in understanding, "Can I speak with him for a moment? It regards our meeting tonight."

Ryou spaced for a moment as he communicated with Bakura. The Ring glowed subtly under his shirt and Bakura took his place. It was fortunate that he could mimic his hikari so well.

"Backing out?" he mocked softly.

"Both Yugi and Ryou have a test tomorrow," Yami ignored the taunt and went to the heart of the matter, "I don't know about you, but I don't want my hikari out late two nights in a row beforehand."

"And you didn't bring this up before because…" Bakura trailed off, waiting for Yami to fill in the blank.

"I only learned about it today," Yami defended.

"How is it my fault that your host doesn't share information with you?"

Yami bristled at that. Yugi was more than just a _host_. The word made it sound as though Yami were nothing more than a parasite, leeching off of his hikari. Yugi was his friend and partner, something Bakura would have to realize about Ryou sooner or later.

"Don't call Yugi that!" he hissed, "Yugi did not tell me because he was more concerned about the Shadows and my problems rather than his own."

"That's not my problem," Bakura replied. He fell silent, thinking for a moment, or perhaps talking with Ryou, before sighing. "We will postpone tonight. But we _will_ meet tomorrow night."

"It was less of permission and more of a notice," Yami narrowed his eyes at the thief, refusing to let him think for even a moment that he was in charge or held power over him.

Bakura opened his mouth to retort, but the teacher entered the room just then, likely preventing their disagreement from escalating, despite Yami's earlier promise to Yugi. The yamis gave control back to the hikaris so they could take their seats and focus on their lessons.

* * *

How Yugi managed to make it through the rest of the day without arousing suspicion from his friends he'd never truly know. As expected, they had demanded an explanation the first chance they got. Every fiber of his being revolted against the half-truths he told and if Yami hadn't been there, he would have likely given everything away.

 _It's for their own protection_ , Yugi reminded himself firmly late that afternoon as he prepared for an evening of studying with Joey.

' _You've done well so far,'_ Yami comforted.

' _It's not fair!'_ Yugi complained, setting a book down with more force than intended. The Shadows flared unexpectedly with his emotions. He winced and gestured to the now calm Shadows, ' _They deserve to know what's going on! The potential danger they face just by being around me now!'_

' _They're safer not knowing,'_ Yami said gently, ' _Perhaps one day, when we have greater control of the Shadows, we can tell them.'_

' _What happens if one of us loses control one day around them?'_ Yugi asked.

' _We won't let that happen,'_ Yami said determinedly. It was not lost on him that it was usually _Yugi_ who gave the words encouragement. To Yami, it was just another sign that things were changing.

"Yugi! Joey's here!" his grandpa called from downstairs.

"Coming!" Yugi called back, heading for the stairs. Caught up in his preoccupations, he didn't even notice that he didn't open the door and instead passed right through it. Only when he was half-way down the stairs did he realize his mistake and froze.

' _Did I just…?'_

' _Yes,'_ Yami told him, just as surprised at what happened. Shadow travel usually took more effort and concentration than that. Yugi just accidentally used it to pass through his door. ' _We are fortunate that your grandfather and Joey are downstairs. We just have to be more aware in the future.'_

' _Yeah,'_ Yugi agreed shakily.

' _Let's keep going,'_ Yami nudged gently when Yugi did not move for a minute, ' _You don't want to keep your friend waiting.'_

Yugi shook his head to clear it. ' _Right.'_

When he reached the living room, Joey was already there, eagerly discussing their Duel from the Kaiba Co. Grand Championship and talking about the finer points of his techniques and strategies. It didn't surprise Yugi to find Joey talking it over with his grandfather; he'd been the one who initially taught Joey everything he needed to know to successfully compete in Duelist Kingdom.

"It was indeed one of the most enjoyable duels in my life," Solomon laughed and noticed his grandson entering the room. "Ah, Yugi. You boys don't stay up too late now."

"We won't," Yugi promised, thinking that at this point Yami wouldn't let him even if he tried. He felt Yami's confirmation at that thought as the Pharaoh faded into his soul room. While Yugi helped Joey, he would continue to search for any answers he could find.

Joey spread his books out on the coffee table and looked at them determinedly. "Where do we start?"

Yugi chuckled and knelt on the other side. "Let's start with figuring out everything you know. Then we'll have a better idea where to go."

The two of them worked for a solid two hours and actually making a lot of progress. Joey knew a lot more than he thought and once he started making connections between theories, everything else fell into place for him.

Yugi attributed his success to Duel Monsters. Over the past couple years, Joey had gotten good at reading his opponents strategies and formulating intricate plans to counter them. Granted most of those plans were based on luck, but they seemed to work in his favor.

Stretching, Joey tossed his pencil down. "Man, we've made a lot of progress!"

"You're doing great, Joey," Yugi assured, "Do you want to take a break and get back to it?"

Joey glanced around at the clock. It was only eight o'clock. "Sure," he agreed, "I could do with some food."

Yugi chuckled, "You can always do with some food."

"I'm a growing boy," Joey defended, "Gotta eat to stay strong. Besides, I think it'll help me focus."

They gathered a few snacks from the kitchen before moving back to the living room and settling into their spots. There were a few minutes of silence while Joey enthusiastically ate.

"So I've been meaning to ask," Joey said around a mouthful of food, "You and the Pharaoh get anywhere with the Puzzle? I know the Puzzle is… well, a _puzzle_ , but I figured if the two of you put your heads together it wouldn't take too long."

Yugi looked down at the artifact hanging around his neck as Yami phased out. The Puzzle and all of its mysteries were still a secret, so at least he could answer truthfully in that aspect, but the fact remained that they were still learning how to _use_ it, even without a complete knowledge of it.

"Slow," Yugi answered truthfully, "Without Yami's memories, we don't really have anything to work with."

"But don't you need to know more to get his memories back?" Joey asked, confused.

"Yeah…"

Joey scratched his head in frustration, "How unfair is that?!"

"Tell me about it," Yugi muttered sadly.

"Man, I'm sorry I took up your evening. Getting those memories back is more important than a dumb ol' test."

The irony! Yugi burst out laughing at Joey's statement, no doubt causing a mass of confusion for his blond friend.

"Yami says otherwise," he explained through his laughter. Yami rolled his eyes at his hikari's antics and faded back into the Puzzle. "I tried pulling that on him early today. We didn't agree."

"I thought you two agreed on everything," Joey marveled.

"Only in a duel," Yugi joked back. He felt remorse trickle through the bond and knew Yami was thinking of the two exceptions to that statement.

' _Stop it,'_ Yugi reprimanded gently, ' _It's in the past.'_

"Let's get back to work, shall we?" he said aloud to Joey, who nodded in agreement.

* * *

They worked for another hour before calling it a night. By the time Joey left, Yugi was confident that he would do well on the test. That is, unless Joey forgot everything by the time class rolled around tomorrow. Knowing Joey, it was likely.

His grandpa had already gone to bed since he needed to open the shop in the morning, so Yugi went around checking the doors and windows before heading to bed himself. Yawning as he walked up the stairs, he looked forward to a night with uninterrupted sleep. However, as he opened his door, he realized it was not unoccupied as he had expected.

Before he could decipher who it was, he was roughly shoved out of control as Yami took over, ready to defend against the intruder.

"Took you long enough," a familiar husky voice greeted them.

"What are you doing here?" Yami demanded, careful to keep his voice low, "I thought we agreed we were not meeting tonight."

"I'm not here by choice," Bakura answered sourly, "The Ring would not settle down until I came here."

"Why?" Yami asked suspiciously.

"Hell if I know," Bakura shot at him, "I can only assume that one of the other Items was active while you were downstairs having a tea party."

Yami narrowed his eyes at the thief, but remained calm, "Do you know which one?"

Bakura raised his eyebrows at that. "And risk the ire of an angry Pharaoh because I touched his precious hikari's things? A sadist perhaps, but not a masochist."

Yami didn't quite know what to make of that statement. The fact that the bag with the Items was clearly visible and untouched was a sure sign that Bakura had truly been reformed. The fact that he openly admitted to enjoying others' pain was a sign that he had really not changed.

' _He's changed his allegiance, not his personality'_ Yugi said, slightly put off by Bakura's statement as well.

"I can only assume that one of them was trying to claim a new owner," Bakura continued.

"Any idea who it could be?" Yami asked.

"Not a clue. Not without knowing which Item it was."

' _Maybe the Necklace was trying to show another vision,'_ Yugi suggested.

"Maybe," Yami agreed.

"Maybe what?" Bakura asked.

"Yugi thinks that perhaps the Necklace was trying to show another vision," Yami explained.

"Another? It's been showing you visions?"

"The last one was the day that we learned about the Shadow Mages. Perhaps it was trying to tell us of a new development."

"Hm," Bakura hummed, "Keep the Items with you from now on. That way you don't miss something like this again. I certainly won't be happy if I have to track them down again only to not get any answers."

With some persuasion, Yami let Yugi take back control of his body. "The Items are usually with me," he informed the thief. "Because we were home, I considered them safe."

"Well at least _you_ appear to have half a brain," Bakura muttered and then paused, listening to something Ryou was saying. "Ryou is telling me to apologize for breaking into your room and to tell you good luck on your test tomorrow."

Yugi blinked in surprise while Yami went into shock as the thief turned without another word and clambered out the skylight. After he was gone, Yugi climbed up to lock the window. Bakura was the only one he knew of who could successfully enter his room that way, but Yugi knew it would help ease Yami's mind, which currently was filled with static.

As he got ready for bed, Yami's thoughts slowly became more defined and coherent. Just as he was about to go to sleep, Yami spoke, ' _Was Bakura actually complying with Ryou's requests? Civilly?'_

' _Yes, Yami.'_

' _...and it wasn't an imposter?'_

' _No, Yami.'_

' _...how am I supposed to tell him off for breaking and entering now?'_

' _Go to sleep, Yami.'_

' _...'_

Yugi rolled over and closed his eyes, drifting off rather quickly in the silence that followed. His last thought before sleep overtook him was how happy he was for Ryou that Bakura seemed to finally be accepting him.

* * *

 **Kinda filler. Hopefully there will be some meatier stuff in the next chapter. I'm gonna try my best to do that.**

 **Please review!**


	6. Discovered?

**Greetings all! I'm am not dead and I have not abandoned this! I just had a killer case of writer's block, terribly sorry for the long wait. Hopefully this still stands up to all of your standards.**

 **So without further ado, the long awaited Chapter 6.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"You need to watch yourself, runt," Bakura growled the following evening. Yugi and Yami had just finished telling him and Ryou about Yugi's accidental Shadow travel.

They sat in the Shadows, summoned by Yami because he still didn't entirely trust Bakura to not pull a stunt, so all four of them could converse. Otherwise it would take twice as long as messages were relayed back and forth. Yugi only wished they didn't have to be in the Shadows for it to happen. He was a lot more comfortable in them now than even just a few months ago, but he still wasn't thrilled about it.

" _You_ need to watch what you call my hikari," Yami growled back protectively.

"Yami, it's fine," Yugi grabbed Yami's arm to prevent him from pouncing on the thief, "He's right, I need to be more aware. Now that I know it can happen like that, I'll be more careful."

"Ha!" Bakura exclaimed victoriously. "Your own hikari has taken my side!"

"Only because it _was_ dangerous," Yugi shot at him, "And I haven't 'taken sides.'"

"You'd be singing a different tune if Joey or his grandfather saw," Ryou reminded his dark, "Besides, it's not like I haven't had mishaps while we train."

"Yes, but you live alone. There's no risk of accidental discovery."

"But I do have neighbors," Ryou said patiently, "I could easily Shadow travel through a wall into their apartment."

"Please," Bakura scoffed, "You made it all the way to Egypt last night. I doubt you'll end up in your neighbor's room."

"You went to Egypt?!" Yami yelped.

"Bakura!" Ryou scolded.

"What were you doing there?"

Bakura shrugged, "We went to visit Ishizu."

Yugi blinked, stunned at the non-chalantness.

"...You _what_?!" Yami exclaimed in disbelief.

"Bakura," Ryou chided lightly. Bakura just rolled his eyes, but didn't protest. Ryou turned to give Yami a real answer, "We wanted to see what else Ishizu knew about all this. Only the bare basics were covered in those papers she sent."

"Only she apparently sent you _everything_ she knew," Bakura added.

"She did?" Yugi asked surprised. He assumed the package they got was the first of several that were on their way over time.

Bakura and Ryou nodded together in affirmation. It was still a little strange to see the two of them working so well together.

"She said she came across those documents by accident and couldn't find anything more," Bakura explained, "I wanted to know the limits of the Shadows for Ryou; what he can actually do without tarnishing his soul."

Yami sat there, a little ashamed that he didn't even consider that. He shot a glance over to Yugi, wondering how far they would have gone without realizing that they could potentially be destroying Yugi's light. The thought itself horrified him.

' _I'm sure it wouldn't have come to that,'_ Yugi assured.

' _Yugi,'_ Yami said seriously, ' _I know you don't want to believe it, but we could have easily crossed that line without realizing it.'_

"Did you find anything?" Yugi questioned aloud.

Ryou shook his head. "Nothing specific. Just a vague hypothesis that should something like this happen we should avoid acts 'considered to be dark,'" he quoted.

"Our whole definition of what's 'dark' has shifted in light of us using the Shadows," Yugi remarked, "No guidelines at all?"

"None," Bakura answered, "I'm not happy about it either, we'll just have to use our best judgement for now," he added after catching Yami's expression.

"You know," Yugi mused, "It wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't anything ever written about this. After all, Yami and Bakura are from the time that the Items were created. Yamis and hikaris didn't exist then."

Yami and Bakura paused, considering Yugi's words. They made sense. It was quite possible that Yugi and Ryou were the first hikari's in history, and possibly the last. Not many people would have part of their souls reincarnated because of their involvement with ancient magic.

"And if the Shadows are fair, then the rules for what Ryou and I can actually do with them will be laid out before we break them," Yugi concluded, "Like Bakura said, if we use our best judgement of what is dark, then we should be fine."

"Almost wish I had considered that before I went hunting for it," Bakura finally grunted.

"Almost?" Yugi questioned.

It was Ryou who answered, "Besides that one piece of vague advice, we managed to find an interesting document about creating a solid form using the Shadows."

"Like when we summon monsters in the Shadow Realm?" Yami asked.

"Yes, but only _outside_ of the Shadows."

"From what I could gather," Bakura explained, "We can basically create a construct from the Shadows that a duel monster, or spirit, could take form in for a short time."

Yugi and Yami didn't miss the implications of making a construct for a spirit. The only question was, was it even within their reach?

It was clear that Ryou and Bakura had already talked about this as Ryou picked up the explanation.

"With enough control, it should be possible to let Bakura and Yami have their own forms for a limited amount of time."

"How?" Yami practically demanded.

Yugi could feel the excitement rolling off him. He couldn't deny that this was an exciting opportunity if it were possible. For Yami to have his own body outside of the Shadows, even for a little bit, was something they had never even given thought to.

"It involves a ritual that will allow Bakura and Yami to essentially absorb the Shadows into a concentrated form," Ryou said, "Once completed, it will still take a lot of concentration as well as willpower to make them last for any length of time."

"Is it worth it?" Yami asked hesitantly. As exciting as it was, performing any kind of ritual on their own could be devastating. If the cost outweighed the benefits, they would have to make do with how things were.

"I think so," Ryou said confidently, "The ritual can hardly be called such and I think with time keeping your solid forms will become easier."

"We _have_ shown that practicing a skill with the Shadows can become second nature without us realizing," Yugi piped up, "Last week it took a lot of effort to Shadow travel, and now I've done it by accident."

Yami was in deep thought about this, excitement having died down enough for him to think properly. The thought of having his own body, real or not, was enticing. It would allow him to interact with Yugi physically rather than having to either be in their soul rooms or speak and act mentally. He could protect his hikari more efficiently too since he wouldn't have to worry about damaging their shared body. There were a lot of pros to this idea.

With the pros came the cons. It _would_ likely take a lot of concentration to maintain the form, even with months and months of practicing. While it did allow for Yami to protect Yugi better, it wasn't ideal. One lapse in concentration could spell disaster. Not to mention trying to explain it if they ever got caught. And what about the ritual? If it posed _any_ danger to Yugi, there was no way he would take part.

' _Let's hear it out first,'_ Yugi suggested quietly, ' _Ryou's the one suggesting this, so it can't be too bad. If anything, it sounds like it could be good training overall. Fine control, complete focus. We've taken the first step, why not take another?'_

"What is required for this so-called ritual?" Yami asked.

Ryou stuck his hand into the Shadows and pulled out some loose papers. He began rifling through them to find the answer. He wanted to be sure of what he was about to say so prevent any mishaps if they chose to go through with this.

"How did you do that?" Yugi asked in awe.

"Partial Shadow travel," Ryou answered lightly, "I just wanted to grab something from my desk, so that's where the Shadows opened up. It's pretty useful."

"I'd say so," Yami agreed.

"Here we go," Ryou found what he was looking for, "If I'm reading this right, all it needs is for all of us to spend a full twenty-four hours in the Shadows, absorbing their power."

Yami blinked. That was pretty mild as far as rituals went; there had to be more.

"We also have to pass it back and forth for this to properly work," Bakura added, "That way the Shadows know what form to take rather than a shapeless blob."

"Sounds easy," Yugi said suspiciously. If that was all there was to this, there was no reason not to go for it. If anything, it would only give them better control over the Shadows.

Yami shot him a look, picking up his thoughts. While Yugi had certainly become stronger and a bit more comfortable with the Shadows, a full day would push his limits. Besides, with Yugi's day-to-day activities, finding a time to spend an entire day uninterrupted would be a challenge.

"You're sure?" he asked his hikari, "How will you manage to get a full day without interruptions and without drawing suspicion?"

"I - we - we'll think of something," Yugi finally managed.

"Just use the excuse you've been using until now," Bakura rolled his eyes.

"I think they're getting tired of no answers," Yugi admitted, "I wish we could just tell them."

"Go right ahead," Bakura scoffed, "Tell them that you're training to use the same Shadows that have given them so much trouble in the past. Tell them that _I've_ been the one to teach you how to control your power. See how far that gets you."

"Back off," Yami growled menacingly, shifting so he was slightly in front of Yugi. "You know very well why we _can't_ tell our friends anything. If their safety wouldn't be compromised they would know every detail of what we're doing."

"They're my friends too," Ryou reminded Bakura softly, "I don't want anything to happen to them either."

Bakura backed down at his hikari's words. He would not make Ryou unhappy; he'd damaged him enough for a lifetime.

"So we'll go through with it," Ryou continued, "Find a day that works and go for it. Training afterwards shouldn't be too different than what we've done with Shadow travel."

A nearby clock began chiming. The sound making its way through the Shadows to the ears of those sitting in them. Yami rose to his feet dispelling the Shadows as he did so and revealing Yugi's bedroom. Yugi and Ryou faded as the Shadows left.

Bakura crossed his arms, not pleased with their meeting being cut off so suddenly, but also realized he was a guest and if the Pharaoh wanted him gone, there really wasn't much he could do about it.

"We will still meet tomorrow night," Bakura said, "You can never have too much practice working with the Shadows."

Yami narrowed his eyes at the thief, but knew he was right. "Unless something comes up, we will see you then."

Bakura nodded and vanished into the Shadows, presumably back to Ryou's apartment. After he was gone, Yami relinquished control over to Yugi so he could go to bed.

' _You know,'_ Yugi said as he got settled, ' _A visit to Ishizu wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. We may have to go at some point.'_

' _Perhaps,'_ Yami agreed, ' _She might have a space where we can perform this ritual uninterrupted.'_

' _Good idea,'_ Yugi yawned, drifting off.

A smile graced Yami's face as his hikari fell asleep. He was so incredibly lucky to have someone who would go to the lengths Yugi was willing in order to help him. Feeling sleep pull at him, he allowed himself to fade back into the Puzzle, glad that things seemed to be looking up for them.

* * *

"You alright, Yug?" Joey asked, catching the rather wide yawn Yugi had tried to hide. There was a lilt of suspicion to his voice, like he knew something, but wanted to see what Yugi would say first.

"Did you not sleep well again?" Tea asked concerned, not catching Joey's tone.

"Seems to be happening a lot," Tristen observed.

Yugi gave a nervous chuckle as he scrambled for something to tell them.

"I guess Yami and I stayed up too late last night trying to figure out the Puzzle," he finally said.

"Still working on that?" Tristen commented lightly, "Make any progress?"

"Not really."

Joey was watching him through narrowed eyes. "Yugi," he leaned forward, "I walked by your place last night. It looked like someone had summoned the Shadow Realm…"

Tea gasped in horror while Tristen joined in Joey's suspicion. Yugi, on the other hand, was trying not to freak out. How on earth was he going to explain this?

"Look man," Joey continued, "I know you said that the evil spirit wasn't that bad anymore, but I gotta ask: is he threatening you at all? Last I knew, the Shadow Realm was only brought out when somebody was looking for trouble."

"You know you can tell us anything," Tristen added.

It didn't surprised Yugi or Yami that Joey and Tristen were acting so defensively. At one point they were Yugi's two biggest tormentors and now want to make sure he never suffered what they put him through again.

' _Yugi, may I?'_

' _Please,'_ Yugi said relieved. The Puzzle shone briefly as they switched places.

"Pharaoh," Tea said softly, "Yugi's not in any kind of danger is he?"

Yes. But Yami wasn't about to tell her that. "We're fine," he assured instead, "I must apologize for last night. It was an accident. We were trying to tap into the Puzzle's power and accidentally summoned the Shadows. It took us a little while to figure out what we did and how to reverse it. There was no Game played."

"The Puzzle can do that?" Tea asked slightly surprised.

Yami nodded, carefully choosing what information he gave them. "All of the Millennium Items can. It makes sense since they come from a time where the Shadow Games were commonly played."

"I guess that makes sense," Joey relented, "Sorry, man. Should have known you guys wouldn't let the evil spirit push you around."

"I understand," Yami assured, "Just please understand that what we're trying to do is dangerous. As much as we want your help and support, we don't want to put you at risk. One errant move and anyone around us could end up in the Shadow Realm."

"If it's so dangerous, do you and Yugi really have to do it?" Tea pleaded. Yami and Yugi knew she was probably the most concerned of all of their friends.

"Believe me," Yami said somberly, "If we thought we could get away without having to do this, we would."

Joey clapped him on the shoulder, "Just let us know what you need. We still want to help however we can." His statement was backed up by nods from Tea and Tristen.

"Thank you," Yami said gratefully, knowing he would never take them up on their offer.

"What are friends for?" Tristen asked rhetorically.

The Puzzle shone again, leaving Yugi in control beaming up at them. "Shall we go get some food?" he asked cheerfully.

"Now you're speaking my language!" Joey exclaimed, jumping and starting towards Burger World, "Last one there pays!"

* * *

 **And there you have it. I realized as I was writing this chapter that I completely threw off the timeline that I outlined in the first chapter of _Shadow Mages Don't Mix With Wizards_. In my defense, when I wrote that chapter, I had no plans of writing a prequel.**

 **Also, I need your help! As those of you who read my first fic know, I don't do really do relationships and all that jazz. However, you should also know that I already put a couple of characters together, so I need help figuring out two more. Should Tea get together with Tristen or Duke? The other will be put with Serenity. There's a poll on my profile page that will be open until August 25, 7:00 pm CST.**

 **Please go vote! And please review!**


	7. Seto Kaiba

**Welcome back! I actually had another chapter ready! Imagine that haha.**

 **Classes are starting up again soon. This should provide the perfect distraction from all that work I'm supposed to do, so hopefully I'll be able to make decent progress on this in the next few months, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises.**

 **Anyway, onto chapter 7! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Let's try again," Yugi encouraged.

Last week he and Yami and gone through with the ritual and were now working on separating themselves outside of the Shadows. It took a lot of concentration, as Yami had suspected, but as of right now they could last a good hour so long as they could keep their concentration. It didn't even take their full concentration anymore as Yugi had managed to do some mindless chores while they had maintained Yami's form, but it still took quite a bit.

They were currently trying to fit in a few hours of practice on an abandoned roof before they had to meet up with their friends that evening. The summer festival had come around and the group was excited to go and hang out in the festive atmosphere.

 _'You're sure you're okay to go on?'_ Yami asked. Besides taking concentration, it was also tiring as the process used their own energy as fuel.

"I'm fine," Yugi assured, "I can last a lot longer now than when we started."

' _Alright then,_ ' Yami responded with a slight chuckle.

The two began again, focusing on moulding the Shadows into Yami's form. It only took a minute to get it done and soon Yugi and Yami were looking at each other through their own eyes, not in their soul rooms, not in the Shadows, and not with one of them incorporeal. Yami still couldn't help the rush of excitement when he found he was able to physically interact with his hikari and the objects around him with his own form. They were nearly identical, though Yami was taller and rather than sharing his hikari's violet eyes as he usually did, his were blood red.

"What the hell!"

The sudden outburst broke Yugi and Yami's concentration. Yugi jumped and whipped around as Yami faded back to his spirit form. Kaiba stood there with a look a look of horror before he schooled his features.

"I must be seeing things," he decided, "There couldn't possibly have been two of you."

"Kaiba?" Yugi questioned, ignoring Kaiba's statement, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you about an exhibition duel for a new Kaiba Land opening," the CEO explained, deciding to ignore any strange happenings he may have stumbled upon.

"Look," Yugi hedged nervously, "Now really isn't the best time for me. I've got a lot going on…"

"That's what your friends said when I asked them where you were," Seto replied flippantly, "I don't buy it. What will it take for you to duel for me?"

"I don't-" Yugi started, but stopped short when he noticed light coming from his bag. The one that held the Millennium Items. Ignoring his present company, he walked over and dug around until the found the culprit. It was the Millennium Rod.

' _Do you think…?_ ' Yugi didn't finished the question. He knew Yami was thinking the same thing.

 _'If so, fate is cruel,_ ' he responded, ' _First Bakura and now Kaiba._ '

' _He will never go along with this,_ ' Yugi said, ' _He's too stubborn to admit it.'_

Yami was silent for a moment, glancing back at Kaiba who looked distinctly put off from being brushed aside in such a manner. ' _I may have an idea,'_ he said, ' _Let me take over for a bit.'_

Yami grabbed the Rod and strode back over to where the billionaire was waiting. "I will duel in you exhibition match, Kaiba, if you do one thing for me."

"It'd better not have anything to do with magic or any of that bull," Kaiba growled, eyeing the Rod carefully.

Yami held out the Rod, offering it to him. "The Items are getting impatient and are choosing new owners. The Rod reacted in your presence, I want to see if it has chosen you."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe all this?" Kaiba bit out, "This is blackmail!"

"No," Yami argued sharply, "Blackmail is hurting my grandfather and not letting him leave until I duel you. Blackmail is threatening to kill yourself if I declared an attack. This is trading one favor for another. All you have to do take hold of it and see how it reacts. Do this, regardless of the outcome, and I will duel in your exhibition duels for the next three parks you open."

Kaiba's eyes were wide at the implications Yami had proposed. Never in a million years would he let himself be exploited like that, no matter the price. In the business world, fools who proposed deals like that were eaten alive by corporate wolves. Kaiba knew Yami was no fool, which made him wonder what was going through his rival's head.

Yami watched as Kaiba processed what he said. Yes, he may have doomed himself to being a tool for Kaiba Corporation for a while, but if Kaiba was the one whom the Rod chose, then it would be worth it. _'You're devious,_ ' Yugi said, watching from the sideline, ' _Do you think he'll do it?'_

' _What does he have to lose?'_ Yami asked, _'He says he doesn't believe in magic, so this should be an easy decision for him.'_

' _Then why is he hesitating?'_ Yugi countered. Sure enough, Kaiba had his arm extended, clearly intending to grab the Rod, but had stopped half-way.

' _Because he is afraid of what will happen if he is wrong._ '

Yami stared down Kaiba determinedly. After a long minute, Kaiba's resolve finally solidified and took hold of the Rod in one fluid movement. Light and Shadows danced around the CEO the moment he touched the Item. Having never truly witnessed this before, Yugi and Yami watched with awe as both light and shadow seemed to meld together and wrap themselves around Kaiba.

When the lights died down, Kaiba looked visibly shaken. It took a few minutes for Kaiba to compose himself again, and when he did, his reaction came as no surprise to Yugi and Yami.

"What the hell was that?" he snarled, "Did you set up some sort of light show or something? Do you intend to make a mockery of me?!"

Yami stayed composed, "I intend nothing. You cannot deny nothing has happened, or that you remain unchanged. Look inside yourself and you will find a new power that has only just awoken."

"There is no such thing as magic!" Kaiba growled. As if to contradict that statement, the Rod activated suddenly, releasing a burst of Shadow Magic with equal intensity as Kaiba's statement.

Yami barely managed to moved out of the way in time and was left staring in shock at the small crater the blast had left in the wall behind him. Kaiba dropped the Rod as if it had burned him and backed away quickly.

"A malfunction with whatever's in that thing," he pointed at the Rod, "And a small explosive in the wall."

Yami almost snorted. If the situation weren't so serious, he might have done so. Only Kaiba would create such a ridiculous scenario to make himself feel better. He was on the brink of belief and Yami had to be the one to push him over. The Rod had clearly accepted Kaiba as it's wielder and if Kaiba neglected his duties, it would consume him.

"Do you really consider me so dishonest?" Yami instead asked sorrowfully.

Kaiba considered him for a minute. Yami knew what was going through his mind: all of their duels. Yami was the only one Kaiba truly considered a rival, and he would never do such a thing if Yami had even once been dishonest at any point during a duel. A person's heart _was_ revealed during a duel afterall.

"No," he finally said, "You are a true duelist. You are not like that."

"That leaves only one truth left…"

"...It's impossible," Kaiba whispered, falling to his knees in defeat.

Yami knelt down next to his long time rival, placing a hand on his shoulder. He took it as a good sign that Kaiba did not shrug him off. "The world is changing," he explained, "The Shadows are eagerly looking forward to the Court that is being built. The Court that will guard the world against evil. The Court that _you_ are now part of ."

"I don't believe this," Kaiba said, rising to his feet suddenly, "No. I _can't_ believe this. It doesn't make any sense!"

"You must!" Yami argued vehemently, rising as well, "If you ignore your duties here, the Shadows will overtake you! Do you remember how Malik and Bakura were during Battle City?"

"How could I not?" Kaiba snorted, "Those two maniacs nearly ruined my tournament."

"That is the behavior of one who has neglected and misused the Shadows. If you turn away now, after you have been chosen by the Millennium Rod, you will slowly become like them," Yami could see his words slowly sinking in. It was time for a trump card. "You don't want to expose Mokuba to that kind of selfish insanity do you?"

"Mokuba has been around plenty of insanity just by being exposed to you and your friends," Kaiba countered weakly.

Yami pressed on, "Malik betrayed his own sister and held no regard for her for many years. Given enough time, you would do the same to Mokuba."

"Never!"

"Then you need to take the Millennium Rod and learn how to use it!"

"How sure are you that I would turn on my own brother?" Kaiba demanded, "Why should I trust you on this?"

"Are you willing to risk it?"

Kaiba's resolve finally broke. "No," he heaved a deep sigh of defeat, "For Mokuba's sake, I will play along for now," he picked up the Rod from where he dropped it and stuck it through his belt so his coat would hide it, "But you'd better not tell a soul!"

Kaiba turned to leave, but Yami stopped him, "Wait!" He waited until his rival faced him. "There is one more thing you must know, for your safety, as well as those around you."

"What would that be?" Kaiba asked annoyed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I will not tell a soul what happened here today," he assured, "But you can't tell anyone about this meeting or the Shadow Court you are now part of either. Enemies we don't even know exist will seek us for the power we wield and if our friends and family know, they will be in grave danger."

Kaiba looked murderous; he shoved Yami into the wall and held him there before he could react. "First you tell me I have to take this thing in order to protect Mokuba, because apparently if I don't take it, I'll turn into a psychopath. Now you tell me I can't tell anyone, not that I wanted to, because just by having this thing, I put Mokuba in danger. What the hell are you playing at, Pharaoh?!"

Yami and Yugi were frozen in shock. Both at Kaiba's actions and the last word that came out of his mouth. _'Did Kaiba just…?_ ' Yugi asked stunned.

 _'He did,_ ' Yami replied, equally stunned.

The two parties stared at each other as the words finally caught up with Kaiba. Neither of them heard the hurried footsteps in their direction until Kaiba was roughly knocked off of Yami. Joey and Tristen stood protectively in front of him as Kaiba quickly regained his footing.

"What the hell, Rich Boy?!" Joey yelled at him, "If Yugi doesn't want to duel for you he doesn't have to!"

Yami recovered himself and laid a reassuring hand on Joey's shoulder. "It's alright," he said, not breaking eye contact with Kaiba, "We had a disagreement about something else."

"Doesn't give him the right to pin you to the wall like that," Joey replied, backing down a bit, but not entirely.

"If he does it again I'd be more than happy to beat him to a pulp," Tristen said vindictively, cracking the knuckles of one hand.

Kaiba straightened his coat and pulled out something from inside. "I'll call you later with the details," he said, tossing the object to Yami and disappeared down the stairs.

Yami looked at the cellphone that was now in his hands. It was an older flip phone, but still held up to the standard needs of the day. Why did Kaiba give him this? He knew the number of the Game Shop and could usually find him from his Duel Disk.

 _'Probably so he didn't have to worry about anybody else picking up the phone or listening in,'_ Yugi guessed.

"Tch," Tristen scoffed, "I can't stand that guy. You actually agreed to duel for him?" he turned back to Yami.

"He's doing me a favor in return," Yami answered vaguely.

"Rich Boy is doing you a favor? The world must be coming to an end," Joey said in disbelief. "Why'd he give you that anyway?" he gestured to the phone.

"I guess so he could keep me up to date with whatever developments happen about the duel," Yami answered, tucking it away into an inner pocket of his jacket. "What are you guys doing here anyway?"

"We...may have followed Kaiba," Tristen admitted awkwardly. "Just to be sure he didn't try to force you into a duel or anything," he defended quickly, "We hung back for a while to give you guys privacy."

For a moment, Yami was irritated that they didn't think he couldn't handle Kaiba on his own. Did they really think he would let Kaiba bully him into something? A mix of anger and fear replaced irritation at the thought of Joey and Tristen coming up any earlier and witnessing any of his and Kaiba's exchange.

' _They mean well,'_ Yugi spoke up, ' _They're used to looking after me since I used to get picked on so much.'_

 _'Yes, but if they had come up any earlier they would have seen and heard things they shouldn't concern themselves with. They could have put themselves in danger!'_

 _'But they didn't,'_ Yugi said soothingly, even though Yami could feel the same fear coming from him, ' _No use in worrying about what could have happened.'_

Joey noticed the flash of indignation that passed on Yami's face. "We weren't going to actually come up, but we heard a loud noise and wanted to be sure he hadn't pulled some low-down, cheap move on ya'."

Yami couldn't help but look over to the wall, expecting to see the crater and already working up plausible explanations for it, only to find it gone. _'Where did it go?'_ Yugi wondered.

 _'I don't have the slightest idea,'_ Yami replied bewildered before turning back to Tristen and Joey, "We didn't hear anything," he finally settled on, "Perhaps it was on the street instead."

"Maybe," Joey allowed, "Anyway, are you ready to go? Tea is waiting for us in the park."

Yami blinked. "Is it that time already?"

"Yeah," Tristen stepped forward, "Are you okay? You're usually not this forgetful. You didn't hit your head or anything?"

"Sorry," he apologized, gathering his things, "I guess we got a bit distracted trying to figure out the Puzzle."

The phone buzzed in his pocket. Frowning, Yami pulled it out and glanced at the small screen.

 _1 New Message_

"Rich boy bothering you already?" Joey asked, noticing Yami's expression.

"It can wait," he decided, tucking the phone away again, not looking at the message, "Let's not keep Tea waiting."

* * *

 **So Kaiba has the Rod now. He's not happy about it, but he has it.**

 **Yes, I skipped everything regarding the ritual to get Yami his own body. It was starting to get to the point where we would never really move forward here and this fic is going to be long enough as it is.**

 **I've still got the poll up for Tea's "love interest". It won't show up for quite a while (a very long while), but it helps me plan. Everyone else has a plan, so no worries there. It'll be taken down next week, so be sure to vote if you care at all :).**

 **Please review :). I really appreciate them!**


	8. First Danger

**Welcome back! So funny story, I had this chapter all ready to go weeks ago, but I decided to change some things last minute that made me rewrite a lot of this. It's only a few days late, which is a lot faster than I expected, but that's probably due to the fact I worked on this rather than lesson plans and homework. Make your teachers proud, kids! Turn in your homework on time!**

 **Anyway, onto the story. Please enjoy!**

* * *

The park was filled with people celebrating the summer festival. Food vendors were scattered through the park and people were laying out blankets to enjoy the evening.

The boys found Tea staking out a spot under one of the largest trees in the park. She had brought a thick blanket big enough for all of them to comfortably sit on and be cushioned against the hard ground.

"About time you got here," she scolded once they were within earshot, "I've been waiting forever!"

"Sorry, Tea," Joey apologized, "Kaiba was trying to start something with Yugi."

"Kaiba?"

"He wasn't starting anything," Yugi denied, "We were discussing exhibition duels for Kaiba Land."

"That's not what it looked like to me," Tristen scoffed.

Joey joined him, "You have a strange definition of the word 'discuss.'"

"What are you talking about?" Tea interrupted, worry threatening to creep onto her face. "What did Kaiba do?"

Joey and Tristen took turns telling Tea what happened after they burst onto the roof. Yugi stood there awkwardly, wanting to correct their assumptions, but knew if he did, more questions would be raised and his friends may be put in danger. He didn't like that Kaiba was being made out as some sort of villain over what was just tensions running high. Yugi didn't blame him in the slightest.

' _That's because you're incredibly forgiving, Hikari,'_ Yami piped up.

' _He can't help he's part of this now,'_ Yugi reasoned, ' _He's just worrying about Mokuba.'_

' _He still needs to watch himself.'_

"He's a no good, money-loving, manipulative scumbag," Joey ranted, not noticing Yugi spacing out for a moment while he talked to Yami.

"That's a bit much, don't you think?" Yugi asked warily. He doubted Joey and Kaiba would ever become friends, but the least they could do was be civil towards each other. Was that too much to ask?

"You're too nice for your own good, Yug," Tristen said, "I'm with Joey on this."

Yugi scowled slightly at that. Yes, he was nice to people around him, and maybe a tiny bit too trusting, but ultimately that was what finally made him friends with the two in front of him.

The phone in his pocket vibrated again. Frowning, he pulled it out.

 _1 New Message_

 _1 Missed Call_

Yugi could only assume at this point that Kaiba wanted answers for what had happened earlier, but he wasn't in a position right now where he could give them.

"Rich Boy still bugging you?" Joey asked.

"He just gave you the thing!" Tristen exclaimed.

"Kaiba gave you a phone?" Tea questioned curiously.

Yugi nodded. "I've agreed to Duel for him and I guess he wanted an easy way to reach me with the details."

The phone buzzed in his hand again.

 _2 New Messages_

 _1 Missed Call_

"You'd better answer him, Yug," Joey sighed, "He'll keep it up all night."

"No," Yugi refused, turning off the vibrations and putting the phone away again, "Tonight is supposed to be fun. Kaiba's not going to spoil it for us."

"Yeah!" Tristen cheered, "Should we go get some food?"

"I don't want to leave this spot alone," Tea hedged, "Somebody might take it."

"Then we'll take turns," Yugi said cheerfully, "You and Tristen go first since you've been waiting the longest and when you get back Joey and I will go."

"If you're sure," Tea agreed hesitantly.

Tristen got behind her and started steering her towards the food trucks, "Come on," he said, "I'm hungry."

Yugi and Joey chuckled as the duo disappeared into the crowd. Yugi laid back on the blanket and closed his eyes, taking in the bliss of finally having a relaxing evening. He felt Joey sit down next to him.

"Not going to sleep on me are ya?" Joey asked, nudging his friend lightly.

Yugi allowed a small smile to grace his face, "No worries," he replied, "Just enjoying the moment."

"Sounds like a plan," Joey agreed, laying out next to him.

The two lay there in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the buzzing atmosphere around them.

"Hey, Yug," Joey broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

"You said the Items are reclaiming owners, right?"

Yugi shot him a cautious glance out of the corner of his eye, "Yes… they'll be either claiming their old owners or finding new ones."

"Right," Joey nodded. Yugi could sense the unease rolling off his friend. "I was just thinking, if the Millennium Rod goes back to Malik, will we have to deal with the evil Malik again?"

Of course Joey was worried about that. He'd nearly been killed by Malik's dark personality. Yugi wasn't sure if they could really call him a yami, he certainly didn't need Malik to survive and had no qualms about sacrificing him in their final duel. Plus the spirit didn't dwell within the Item like Yami and Bakura did nor did he have a connection to Ancient Egypt, but was rather born from Malik himself.

Besides, Rod couldn't go back to Malik anyway; it had chosen Kaiba.

"I think it's safe to say that we won't have to worry about him," Yugi answered confidently, "His existence was entirely different than Yami's."

Joey relaxed, "So long as we don't have to deal with that psycho again."

"I'm all for that," Yugi grinned.

The two fell back into silence as they waited for Tristen and Tea to return. They didn't have to wait very long.

"Alright, sleepyheads," Tea announced their return, "It's your turn."

Joey sat up, mock glaring at her, "Who's sleeping? We were just relaxing. Right, Yug?"

"Right," Yugi agreed, rising to his feet, "Manage to find anything good?" he asked, looking at the food they brought back.

"You bet!" Tristen exclaimed, "I'm gonna have to go back for seconds to try more stuff!"

"Hehe," Joey rubbed in hands together in anticipation, "Ready to go?"

Yugi eyed him warily, "Only if you promise to try to control yourself when we get there."

Tristen laughed, "Yugi, it's Joey. Don't ask him to do the impossible."

"I'll show you impossible!" Joey jumped on Tristen trying to wrestle him to the ground. Tristen was left basically defenseless unless he dropped his food, which wasn't an option.

Yugi and Tea laughed nervously as people nearby started giving their attention to the ruckus that was taking place.

Tea was the one to finally step in. She carefully placed her own food on the far side of the blanket and walked up to the boys. Deftly reaching into the pile of limbs, she pulled them apart by their ears.

"Ow! Ow!" Joey and Tristen complained.

"Save it for later," she ordered, pushing Joey in Yugi's direction, "Go get your food before it gets dark."

Joey rubbed his ear, looking put out, but followed Yugi towards the vendors. When then caught sight of them all, Joey's jaw dropped in amazement.

"Meet you back here in, say, fifteen minutes?" Joey asked, eagerly looking at all the choices for food.

"Sure," Yugi chuckled, "Don't go overboard."

Joey didn't hear him as he was already on the move to the first vendor. Yugi rolled his eyes and strolled along at a more reasonable pace, admiring the decorations that covered the park on the way. The sun was setting and the trees were lit up with thousands of tiny lights.

Now that they were away from the others, Yugi pulled back out the phone Kaiba gave him to check what he wanted. If it was actually urgent, he would have to take care of it, otherwise Kaiba could wait until tomorrow. Opening the messages, he quickly read through them.

 _Message 1_

 _Just because I called you "Pharaoh" doesn't mean I buy into any of this. I want answers. Real answers._

 _Message 2_

 _Answer the damn phone, Muto! I didn't give it to you so you can ignore me! We have business to discuss._

' _Demanding, isn't he?'_ Yami commented lightly.

' _We'll take care of it later,'_ Yugi decided, putting the phone away again.

' _I'm glad he's finally listening, I just wished he hadn't interrupted us.'_

' _We were making good progress today,'_ Yugi chirped to Yami.

' _You're in a good mood,'_ Yami observed.

' _Why shouldn't I be? This festival is one of the highlights of the season! There's so much energy here as well!'_

The two continued to make light conversation as Yugi browsed the food vendors. Yugi would often take detours off the path so they could walk under the twinkling trees. It was beautiful and would only become more so as daylight continued to fade away. They were so caught up talking that Yugi didn't see the man until he bumped into him.

"Oh! Sorry!" Yugi quickly apologized.

"Watch where you're going, kid!" the man turned around and growled at him. He stopped short when he noticed the Puzzle hanging around Yugi's neck. "Nice necklace you got there," he grinned predatorily.

Yugi placed his hand on it protectively. He was acutely aware that he was off the main trail where people milled about; just far enough inside the treeline that nobody paid them any mind. Yami itched to take over, not liking the way the man was looking at Yugi, but Yugi wasn't letting him.

' _It's too dangerous,'_ Yami tried to reason.

' _The last thing we need is for this guy to start suspecting there's more to the Puzzle than it's looks. We don't need a scene either.'_

"Thank you," he said replied to the man, carefully backing away.

"You're Yugi Muto, aren't you?"

Yugi didn't bother to deny it. Everyone in Domino knew who he was, and if they didn't, his hair combined with the Puzzle was a dead giveaway.

"There's a rumor that that necklace of yours is what gives you such good luck," the man continued, a strange light in his eye.

"You must have my strategies confused with Joey Wheeler. He's the one who relies on luck," Yugi took another step back, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. The way this guy was staring at the Puzzle was really making him uncomfortable.

"Maybe...but _you.._. You always seem to get the right card at the right time," the man's voice had dropped to a whisper, as if disclosing a great secret. "Nobody's luck is that good. I bet it's that necklace of yours."

Ishizu's warnings ran through Yugi's mind. This guy didn't know why he wanted the Puzzle, he just knew he did. If he got his hands on it, who knew what would happen?

"Yugi!"

Panic shot through Yugi. That was Ryou's voice! If this guy was after the Millennium Items, then he would be at risk as well. The shout did break the man's unnerving stare for a moment, and if Yugi had been thinking properly, he would have taken the opportunity to run.

The pale boy came into view, stopping when he saw the situation Yugi was in. He sent a subtle questioning glance at Yugi, clearly asking why Yami wasn't in control. The Ring gleamed on his chest as it reacted to the man's soul. Unfortunately, that just brought the man's attention to Ryou even more.

'What's going on?" Ryou asked, one hand instinctively reaching up to guard the Ring.

"You've got one too," the man whispered, "They say yours makes you turn psychotic."

Ryou glared at the man as Yugi inched around to stand next to his friend. Yugi could feel the power emanating from the Ring as he assumed Bakura was itching to give this man a piece of his mind for that comment.

Suddenly, the man lunged at them, drawing a long knife he had hidden. "Let me take it off your hands!"

The Puzzle and Ring shone brightly as Yami and Bakura surged forward, intent on protecting their hikaris. However, by the time they had taken over and the light died down, the man was on his back several feet from them.

Yami narrowed his eyes and cautiously crept forward. The man's eyes stared blankly towards the sky. A touch of the Shadows told him that his soul had been taken.

"What did you do?" Yami hissed at Bakura.

"I didn't do a damn thing, _Pharaoh_ ," Bakura defended, "I was going to ask you the same thing. The last thing we need is a spectacle to draw any more unwanted attention."

"I did nothing," Yami denied.

"Well one of us must have," Bakura replied hotly, "If I didn't do it, and you didn't do it, then wh-" His eyes widened in horror with sudden realization.

Yami looked at him questioningly before his thoughts caught up with Bakura's logic.

 _'Yugi!'_ he cried, suddenly aware of how quiet his hikari was right now.

 _'I'm okay,'_ came the quiet reply with a touch of uncertainty. Yugi had come to the same conclusion as Bakura and Yami: either he or Ryou had been the one to take the soul. ' _...was it me?_ '

 _'I don't know,'_ Yami answered honestly. He felt Yugi's nod of understanding before his hikari withdrew from his mind. He'd have to keep a close eye on Yugi in case it _was_ him; he refused to let his hikari's light be tainted.

"Yugi! Yugi?!"

"Yug! Where are you?"

"He's over here!" Bakura called to Yugi's searching friends.

"What are you doing?" Yami hissed.

Bakura shushed him and nodded towards the soulless body. _"I'll take the credit for this for now,"_ he whispered hurriedly, ignoring Yami's questioning look at the language change. He was still stunned by the fact he could suddenly read and speak it. _"Your friends won't question the action if they believe I was the one behind it. We can figure out the truth later."_

He finished just as Joey and Tea came into view, stopping short when they saw Bakura standing with Yami.

"Oi!" Joey yelled when he saw Bakura, "What are you doing here?!"

"Saving your friend," Bakura growled convincingly at him.

Tea gasped, seeing the man on the ground. Joey quickly pulled her behind him and stood defensively. "What did you do to that guy?" he demanded.

Bakura raised an eyebrow at Yami. "I save your hikari's life and this is how I get repaid?"

"What is he talking about?" Tea directed at Yami.

"Yugi bumped into him by mistake," Yami confirmed soberly. "He saw the Puzzle and wanted it for himself. It happened so quickly that I didn't have time to take over. Fortunately Bakura saw what was happening and showed up to help."

Joey and Tea were surprised by the story; Bakura had really helped Yugi out.

"Is Yugi alright?" Tea asked worriedly.

"He's a little shaken," Yami answered truthfully, "He had a knife…" He pointed to where the silver blade lay inches from the man's limp hand.

Tea and Joey gasped in horror. Joey was feeling a little guilty as it had been his idea to split up. If he had stayed with his friend, this probably wouldn't have happened.

"Did you really have to take his soul?" Joey asked, looking a little sick at the thought.

'Hmph," Bakura grunted. He thrust a hand out towards the man and Shadows began to creep over him. Slowly, he began to disappear.

"Hey!" Joey protested rushing forward, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Removing evidence, fool," Bakura told him, "It wouldn't do Yugi any good for this man to be found like this. Last thing he needs is to be named the last person to have seen this man."

Joey narrowed his eyes at the thief, not really sure what to make of the fact that he seemed to be _helping_ rather than sabotaging them right now. Tea, on the other hand, had moved over to where the Pharaoh stood, "May I speak with Yugi?" she asked quietly, "I don't want him to think this is his fault."

Yami turned to study her. For the first time, Tea felt uncomfortable under his gaze; it was as if he were looking into her very soul to see whether or not she could be trusted with Yugi's well-being. "He has withdrawn into his own mind," he answered, looking away, "Please allow me to take care of him first."

" _Speaking of taking care of hikaris_ ," Bakura interrupted, not caring how conspicuous he sounded right then, " _I need to take care of my own."_

The attention he drew, however, allowed Yami to give him the slightest nod of understanding without being noticed by Joey or Tea. The thief gave one last smirk for good measure before he ducked away through the trees.

* * *

 _(Bakura)_

The moment he was out of sight, Bakura called the Shadows and spirited himself quickly to the safety and privacy of his hikari's apartment.

Ryou had been very quiet since Bakura had his revelation that one of the hikaris had taken the soul. When Bakura was in control, Ryou was usually quiet anyway, but this silence seemed somehow _more_ than it typically was. Only a few months ago he wouldn't care, in fact, he'd probably rejoice in how silent Ryou was and take it to mean the boy had finally completely surrendered to him. Now though... it was a different story.

The apartment was quiet. The neighbors must be at the festival, meaning they would probably come back drunk and louder than normal, but for now at least he and Ryou could focus on the issue at hand without distractions.

 _'Ryou?'_ Bakura asked.

As expected, Ryou didn't reply except for the flare of guilt and... embarrassment?... coming from the bond. The guilt made sense, but Bakura was confused by the other emotion he sensed. Why would Ryou be embarrassed? Realization dawned on him almost immediately after he had the thought.

Ryou was still expecting Bakura to act as his old self. Old habits die hard. They were both getting better, but it was easy, for Ryou at least, to fall into old routines.

Sighing, Bakura summoned the Shadows so he could easily separate from his hikari. They too had gone through the same ritual as Yugi and Yami, but they had less experience working together as a team and therefore took more work for them to separate outside of the Shadows.

The Shadows wrapped around them comfortingly. Ryou appeared in front of him, sitting and staring into nothing.

Bakura swiftly knelt down in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Speak to me," he demanded urgently.

Ryou's eyes slowly met his. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Sorry?" Bakura questioned, "It wasn't your fault. I should be the one apologizing. I should have insisted on taking over the moment you got anywhere near that guy, but his attention was already drawn to the Ring. I hoped that he would leave you alone since it was two against one at that point."

Surprise took over Ryou's face. "You're not going to tell me off for feeling bad about taking his soul?"

"No. You're a hikari. As your yami, I'm supposed to protect you from harm. As a hikari, your light is supposed to keep my darkness from driving me insane."

"Didn't stop you before," Ryou muttered and then flinched as he realized he said that out loud.

Bakura ignored the flinch. Ryou needed to get used to being comfortable speaking his mind. "I ignored you completely before. Locked you away so your light _couldn't_ help me. It's not something I'm proud of. Besides, we're a team now, right?"

"R-right," Ryou said shakily.

A moment of silence fell between them before Ryou spoke again. "Do you suppose this is one of those things I was supposed to avoid?" he asked humorlessly.

"I certainly hope not," Bakura answered seriously. That _was_ his greatest concern at this point, but he kept the majority of it from reaching his hikari. "Will you allow me to look at your soul to make sure? I would need to enter your soul room."

Ryou froze at that. The last time Bakura had entered his soul room, it hadn't ended well for him at all. Since the Ring had returned, however, Bakura had carefully kept his distance as he and Ryou got used to each other. Slowly and cautiously, Ryou gave a nod of permission.

"You'll be with me," Bakura assured, "Anytime you want me to leave, just say so."

This was a huge hurdle in their relationship cleared and Bakura was acutely aware of the memories and emotions Ryou had to push aside for him to allow Bakura to do this. Bakura nodded in return and closed his eyes, entering his hikari's soul room and praying to every god he could think of that Ryou's light was not tarnished by this act.

* * *

 **So it was Ryou who took the first soul in this whole adventure. Who'da thunk it? It originally wasn't going to be that way, but this gave a us a glimpse into Ryou and Bakura's relationship.**

 **Don't hold your breath for the next chapter, it might take me a little while to get it ready, but it'll come, I promise. The remaining Items need to claim their owners. I think I just have the Necklace and Eye left and I think we all know who they're going to.**

 **Please review! I love reading them :)**


	9. Consequences

**Welcome back! Kind of a filler chapter, I'm so sorry. I'll try to get more exciting material in the next chapter.**

 **Until then, please enjoy!**

* * *

"You're sure you're alright, Yug?" Joey asked as they dropped him off at the game shop.

"I'm a lot better," Yugi assured with a convincing smile, "You can stop worrying now."

They had all insisted on walking Yugi home after the festival had ended for the night, even though he insisted multiple times he was fine and that the chances of it happening again were incredibly slim. He and Yami had managed to covertly look around his soul room, to see if anything had changed, and determined nothing had. This meant that Yugi had not been the one to take his attacker's soul; it had been Ryou.

Yami felt a bit guilty for being so relieved; after all, it meant that Ryou now had to deal with whatever consequences came from it and the boy had already been put through so much with Bakura. Yugi was anxious to check up on Ryou, and Yami had to admit he was curious as to how this affected him. It was a slightly morbid thought, but based on how Ryou, another hikari, reacted, they could judge whether or not Yugi could do the same thing. If he could, then as part of the Court he would probably be expected to at some point or another. Better to start mentally preparing as soon as possible.

"You've got to have the fastest rebound time of anyone I know," Tristen said.

"We face too much weird stuff to stay down for long," Yugi gave a chuckle.

"You think Bakura's doing okay?" Tea asked worriedly, "He has to stay with the evil spirit."

Yugi allowed a frown to form on his face. That was the very question he planned on answering as soon as he was upstairs.

"We can check on him tomorrow," Joey answered before Yugi could say anything, "He's probably asleep by now. It's pretty late."

Tea nodded her understanding. "Sounds like a good idea.

Yugi hesitated before nodding along. He couldn't endorse these plans knowing what Ryou might be dealing with tonight, nor could he deny them without arousing suspicion. At least he could warn Bakura about the potential visit.

"Speaking of the late hour," Tristen interjected, checking his watch and noticing it was nearly midnight, "I need to get home, so I'll meet up with you tomorrow."

Joey and Tea nodded in agreement. "Let's meet up at 11:00 in front of the arcade," Joey suggested.

"You just want it later in the day so you don't have to get up early!" Tristen accused.

"Oh, what? And you do? "

Tristen huffed and started away. "Whatever," he waved, "See you guys then."

"See you two later," Tea chuckled and headed off in her own direction.

Yugi turned to unlock his door when he noticed that Joey was still standing there awkwardly.

"Do you need to stay here tonight?" he offered, recognizing Joey's hesitance.

"If you don't mind," Joey hedged, "Going home at this time of night…"

"I understand," Yugi said soberly. He was all to aware of the temperament of Joey's father. He held the door open for Joey, "I'll dig out a futon and some blankets."

"Thanks, man," Joey said relieved and followed his short friend inside.

The boys made their way through the dark and upstairs trying to make as little noise as possible. Yugi's grandpa knew he would be home late because of the festival, but he was asleep and Yugi didn't want to disturb it. They reached Yugi's room without incident.

"Need any help, Yug?" Joey offered as Yugi dumped his bag in the corner.

"Sure. You know where the blankets are, right?"

"Yep," Joey shot him a thumbs up and hurried out of the room.

' _Yugi,'_ Yami said as Yugi set about his task of pulling out a spare futon from a closet, ' _How are we going to check on Ryou and Bakura tonight if Joey stays here?'_

' _Maybe we'll have to wait until tomorrow,'_ Yugi suggested, ' _I couldn't very well turn him away.'_

' _I know,'_ Yami agreed, ' _But I don't feel this is something wise to wait on.'_

Yugi let out an audible sigh and started dragging the futon back to his room. He didn't want to wait on this either, but what choice did they have? In theory, they could wait until Joey fell asleep and then Shadow Travel to Ryou's apartment, but there was nothing that said Joey wouldn't wake up and notice his absence.

He made it back to his room to find Joey waiting with a blanket in his arms. "I really appreciate this, man" Joey said as Yugi arranged the futon on the ground.

"You know you're always welcome whenever you need," Yugi replied, "I think you left some clothes here from last time. We washed them," he nodded towards a small bag sitting in his closet.

"Thanks, Yug," Joey grabbed the bag and headed to the bathroom to change.

' _Yugi, let's separate,'_ Yami phased out the moment Joey was out of sight.

' _What?'_

' _I will go check up on Ryou while you stay here. We should be able to pour enough energy into my form to give me enough time to Shadow Travel and speak with him,'_ Yami explained.

' _What if Joey comes back and sees?'_ Yugi worried.

Yami tilted his head, listening to something. ' _I think we have time. He's talking to himself in there. But let's hurry anyway.'_

' _Alright.'_

Yugi and Yami closed their eyes, focusing the Shadows as they had earlier that day. Yugi put as much energy as he dared into Yami's form. In just a couple minutes, Yami had settled into his new, temporary body.

' _Feel okay?'_ Yugi asked, not wanting to speak aloud in case Joey heard.

' _Perfect,'_ Yami assured, ' _It's good to see our link still works. Hopefully this won't fade when you fall asleep.'_

' _I'll try to stay awake as long as possible to let you do what you need to do,'_ Yugi promised.

' _And I'll try to keep my visit short,'_ Yami replied, laying a hand on his hikari's shoulder. He froze suddenly. ' _Joey's coming back. I'll let you know what happens.'_

Yugi nodded and Yami vanished into the Shadows just before Joey came back into the room wearing his pajamas. The moment Yami left Yugi felt a strain on their connection.

"You alright, Yug?" Joey asked. Yugi had no doubt that the energy he poured into Yami's form had given him a rather exhausted look.

"I'm fine," Yugi quickly rearranged his features into something more relaxed, "Just the day catching up to me. I'm going to go change."

He left the room before Joey could question him and focused on his bond with Yami. It was still there, but it felt weird. Distant. He supposed it was only natural since for the first time he and Yami were truly apart, but he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

As he changed, he noticed something else: he'd grown. Not by a whole lot, but enough that he noticed his pajamas were just a tad bit shorter than they had been. It was about time he started growing taller. He had no delusions that he would ever reach Joey or Tristen's height, not with how short his grandfather was, but it would be nice to break that five foot barrier.

' _Yami?'_ he tried, turning his attention back to the bond and wondering if he and Yami could even talk at such a distance. ' _How are things going?'_

A reply wasn't long in coming, but it was like the time before they had really been a team: just a vague sense of emotions. Yugi frowned in disappointment; he had no idea if things were going good or bad based on that. He supposed he'd just have to wait until Yami returned.

* * *

Yami shuddered as he moved through the Shadows. He wasn't there long, and it wasn't the Shadows that were the problem, it was moving away from Yugi. He never considered the fact that their mental bond was so strong because they were always so close to each other. Now that he had moved away, the bond felt… stretched. Almost as it had been before Yugi had truly been aware of his presence. He had half a mind to turn around and go back, but that wouldn't accomplish what needed to be done, so he pressed on ahead.

Just moments later he stepped into Ryou's apartment and it wasn't but a few seconds later that Bakura emerged from the bedroom to greet him.

"About time you showed up," the thief growled, blanketing them with the Shadows. "Where's the runt?"

Yami scowled at the other spirit. " _Yugi,_ " he stressed, "Is back in his home, hopefully about to go to sleep. He wanted to come, but Joey needed a place to stay for the night."

Bakura blinked at that. Whatever answer he was expecting, it wasn't that. "You and he separated," he stated slightly stunned.

Yami nodded. "About a week ago we went through with the ritual. I'm not sure how long this form will last as it is the first time being away from Yugi. Standing next to him, the longest we managed was an hour."

"Impressive. Ryou and I have only managed 32 minutes."

"Not bad," Yami acknowledged.

"So considering you're on an unknown time limit, I'm assuming you want to get down to business and just know how taking a soul has affected my hikari," Bakura crossed his arms and scowled at the Pharaoh.

"Partly," Yami admitted, ignoring the change in tone, "I need to know if this is something I need to be vigilant about in the future, but mostly I am here checking on a friend."

Bakura narrowed his eyes at the Pharaoh, but relented. "Ryou is doing surprisingly well," he stated, "He hates what he did, but understands it was a reflex and he couldn't control it. His soul is fine, nothing has been damaged or darkened. In fact, it almost seems stronger than before."

"Stronger?" Yami questioned.

"We looked in his soul room," Bakura explained, "While nothing had changed, everything that makes him a hikari seems… more fixed."

Yami felt Yugi's presence roll through the bond. He got the impression that Yugi was asking a question, but that was all he could sense.

' _I'm fine,'_ Yami sent, hoping to reassure his hikari and wondering if it would actually get through, ' _Ryou's fine too. No adverse effects from what Bakura can tell.'_

"Your hikari worried about you?" Bakura asked in a mocking tone.

"Merely curious," Yami retorted before turning back to the issue at hand, "Do you think Ryou and Yugi will be _expected_ to take souls as part of this Court?"

"They'll probably have to go as far as creating Yami no Games," Bakura answered somberly, "I plan on teaching Ryou what I can about intentionally creating a Game as soon as the guilt from tonight fades."

It was Yami's turn to stand stunned. The papers Ishizu sent what seemed like a lifetime ago surfaced in his memory. Yugi _had_ read that they would have to use Yami no Games, but they'd focused on so much other stuff, that it laid forgotten.

"It's just a theory," Bakura reminded him, "But I don't plan on taking any more chances with my hikari. Not after tonight."

Yami couldn't fault him for that. Teaching Yugi how to properly create a Yami no Game wouldn't necessarily be the worst idea in the world in case he ever ran into another situation like he did earlier that night.

"There is no wrong in wanting to teach your hikari to defend himself," Yami agreed with a sigh, "I will take precautions with Yugi as well, especially now that we can be in two different places if we wish. The documents Ishizu sent said something about Yami no Games. I'll have him look through them again later."

Bakura nodded, "Good. Maybe they give an actual purpose for the Games."

"I thought you said they were used for judgment?"

"I assumed that. All I know is the more souls trapped in the Shadows, the stronger they are."

"And considering you wanted to be stronger using Shadow Magic, you tried to take as many souls as you could," Yami concluded, referring to the thief's early behavior.

"Naturally," Bakura agreed, "You did too, when you were first released from the Puzzle, but you didn't realize it. Considering the Shadows never punished us for misuse, we were probably on to something."

"I used mine to punish those who hurt or threatened Yugi," Yami remembered.

"So noble," Bakura sneered.

The Pharaoh glared at the thief but refused to rise to the bait. The two stared each other down before Bakura finally backed off.

"Is there anything else you came here for?"

"Just one thing," Yami nodded, "Yugi's friends were talking about stopping by tomorrow, late morning, to check on Ryou. They're still convinced that you're your old self and taking credit for the soul earlier today didn't help."

"If Ryou's not up to visiting with a non-Shadow Mage, then I'll have to pretend to be him," the thief surmised. Yami winced at the official title all Item wielders held now, but nodded. "Well then I will see you and your shadow tomorrow. You should probably be getting back to him."

"I have one more stop," Yami said, drawing up the Shadows, "Kaiba is now in possession of the Millennium Rod. He wants answers."

" _What?!_ "

Yami ignored the exclamation and disappeared. He would pay for it later, but he didn't know how much longer his form could be maintained and wanted to give Kaiba some of the answers he deserved. Besides, the opportunity to leave his enemy stunned and confused was too good to pass up.

* * *

Yugi woke with a gasp as the energy for Yami's form ran out and his presence snapped back to the Puzzle.

"You alright, Yug?" Joey's sleepy voice greeted him.

"I'm fine," Yugi assured the mostly asleep lump on his floor, trying to ignore the headache that was quickly making itself known, "Go back to sleep."

Joey didn't need telling twice and easily joined the world of dreams again.

' _Sorry,'_ Yami whispered, his voice ladened with exhaustion as well, ' _I was too far away when I reached my limit.'_

Yugi looked at the clock. ' _Two hours, a new record.'_

Yami couldn't help but be impressed. ' _We keep breaking records and boundaries left and right don't we?'_

' _Mhhm,'_ Yugi hummed in agreement, ' _What took you so long? Is Ryou alright? Was Bakura being difficult?'_

' _Of course the thief was being difficult,'_ Yami muttered, mostly to himself, ' _But Ryou is fine. Bakura said they looked in his soul room and nothing had changed. Actually, according to Bakura, Ryou's soul is actually stronger because of this.'_

' _Oh, that's good.'_ Yugi was too tired to think of the implications of that. He'd figure them out in the morning. His headache was fading as he got use to Yami's close presence again.

' _I stopped and had a talk with Kaiba on my way back. That's what took me so long.'_

' _I'm sure he was surprised.'_

Yami chuckled at the memory of Kaiba's shocked face when he appeared, walking through his office wall. ' _He most certainly was. I answered his questions best I could. He'll be joining us for some of our training sessions.'_

' _He has a company to run,'_ Yugi pointed out, trying to fight the sleep that was threatening to pull him back under, ' _How will he find the time?'_

' _He'll find it,'_ Yami assured, ' _I have more to tell you, but it can wait until morning. Go back to sleep.'_

' _Only if you go to sleep too,'_ Yugi argued feebly. In the next minute, he was out like a light.

Yami retreated into his soul room, glad to be near his hikari once again. Only two hours away with a weakened mind link was harder than he'd realized it would be. He couldn't remember a time where he didn't have access to Yugi or his always comforting spirit. The tool they had was a good one, it would just take some getting used to.

Tomorrow he would tell Yugi about training to use Yami no Games, and while Yugi may have been calm about it the first time he read about them, his reaction could very well be different this time around.

* * *

 **Like I said, kind of a filler chapter.** **You would not believe how long it took me to confirm the cannon about Joey's dad. Seriously, he only showed up _once_ in season zero and it was very fleeting.**

 **Yes, I skipped over Yami's visit to Kaiba. Don't worry though, Kaiba will show up again soon. Between lesson plans and homework I'm finding that I don't have a lot of time to work on this :'(, but I promise I will work on it whenever I can! Even if it takes me 3-4 weeks between updates, I _will_ finish this!**

 **Until next time, please review :)**


	10. Suspicions

**Welcome back! It's been a month and I'm sorry. Writer's block has been hitting me hard but we're getting there. Slowly but surely this is coming together. But now that we're here, onwards!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Nothing!" Yugi exclaimed in frustration, throwing down the documents. Yami didn't react as the papers landed near his feet, he just knelt down and started gathering them together again.

During their visit to Ryou, and it _was_ Ryou, not Bakura, earlier with their friends, Yami had quietly filled him in on everything that happened during his own visit last night as Yugi hadn't remember much from when he returned. It had been a short visit and now they were back home, Yami in his own form helping Yugi scour Ishizu's papers for answers.

Yugi's frustration was understandable. The current theory they were working with said that Yugi would likely have to play Yami no Games, but nothing in the documents gave any information about them. Yami shared some of the Games he played before they had become a team and Yugi was _not_ happy about the idea

"I'm not using some power that I don't know the reasons for using!" Yugi continued, "Bakura originally said they were for judgement, but you said he admitted that he just guessed that!"

"I'm not going to make you do anything you're not comfortable with," Yami assured his hikari calmly, still kneeling on the floor.

" _And_ ," Yugi continued as if Yami hadn't spoken, "You told me that Bakura said Ryou's soul as a hikari _solidified_ after last night. How is taking a soul _not_ considered a dark act?! We've fought so many people who did that very thing because of how wrong it is, and now I'm expected to do it to stay a hikari?"

 _This_ was the kind of outburst that Yami had been expecting ever since they learned of their new destiny. Yugi had been handling everything far too calmly so far, rationalizing their situation and acting as Yami's rock through all of this. Yami realized now that Yugi had been in a state of denial, hoping that things would work themselves out before they got to this point and now reality was crashing down around him.

Yami set the papers aside and crossed over to Yugi in a couple of strides, resting his hands on his hikari's shoulders. He'd gotten his frustrations out earlier and now it was his turn to be the emotional pillar for Yugi.

"Relax," he said soothingly, leaning forward to catch Yugi's eye, "We'll figure this out, just as we always have. You've done so well with every obstacle we've faced so far and you're not facing them alone. I am here with you."

"I don't want things to change," Yugi admitted, avoiding Yami's gaze, "All of this Shadow Magic, this 'Court' that we're supposed to be building, the lies we have to tell _everyone_ … I'm tired of it. Our closest confident was once our biggest enemy because we can't talk about this with our friends. I just want to go back to how things were!"

"Everything we have been doing has been against your very nature," Yami said, "Dealing with Shadows and darkness, those should have stayed my responsibility. I don't know why taking a soul has strengthened Ryou's light, perhaps it's different for each hikari-"

"I don't care!" Yugi snapped, glaring at Yami and knocking his hands away. Yami could only stand there stunned and confused by Yugi's actions.

The two stared at each other, not moving for several minutes. Yugi continued glaring at Yami while Yami could sense the turmoil of emotions rolling through his hikari, the Shadows ready to answer if Yugi called them. Their concentration was broken by a light suddenly shining from the bag where the remaining Millennium Items resided. Yugi's glared turned from Yami to the bag.

"It's probably the Necklace," Yami said quietly, not making any effort to go to it.

"If it's a vision I don't want to see it," Yugi said stubbornly, "This whole mess started because of a vision from that thing."

Yami sighed. He couldn't blame his hikari for acting this way, but it _was_ out of character for him... and potentially dangerous, though he wasn't going to say anything about it just yet. Not when Yugi was probably just a couple steps away from letting the Shadows run rampant. He also needed to know what the Necklace, if it really was the Necklace, was trying to tell them. If it was the Eye, then based off the reaction of the Rod, the new owner would be nearby. Either way, they needed to know.

The Pharaoh quietly walked over to the bag and peered inside. It was definitely the Necklace. Yugi closed his eyes and turned away as Yami's hand closed around the Necklace. It didn't help. The moment Yami touched it, the vision played through the bond for both of them to see.

They were in room built of stone with no windows. Nothing particularly indicated it, but they got the sense they were underground. In the vision, Yugi and Yami sat on a couch laughing about something. Ryou entered, making a silent comment with a slightly amused face and causing the pair to laugh harder.

The vision changed to Bakura and Kaiba fighting using their respective Items. It looked like Bakura was giving advice to the CEO and Kaiba seemed to be responding to it, though he did look frustrated that he couldn't hit the thief. It wasn't long before Bakura knocked Kaiba flat on his back. Bakura gave Kaiba a hand up, offering what looked like critiques while Kaiba, amazingly, listened and nodded his thanks.

It changed once again to show a dark figure, hidden by the Shadows, the Millennium Eye hanging around his neck. A pair of familiar violet eyes opened…

Yugi and Yami were left staring at the Necklace with surprise as the vision abruptly ended, Yugi's previous anger towards it momentarily forgotten.

"Was that Malik?" Yugi finally asked, "Is Malik supposed to have the Eye?"

Yami thought about his answer carefully, not wanting to upset his hikari again. "It's possible," he said slowly. "While he does not have a direct connection with the past, he was able to use an Item before and his family _is_ responsible for my secrets."

"I guess we have to take a trip to Egypt," Yugi said glumly, "And sooner rather than later. We can't see to catch a break can we?"

Yami glanced around at the clock. "We'll go later tonight," he decided, "It's only 8:00 in the morning over there and it will give us some time to relax."

Yugi shook his head. "We have to meet with Bakura and Kaiba tonight. Now is our best option. Besides, maybe Ishizu has more information about all of this. I'm not touching Yami no Games until I know what they are meant for."

"I don't expect you to," Yami smiled, glad that Yugi's anger had been brief.

Suddenly Yugi's cell phone started ringing and currently there was only one person who knew that number. Yami scowled at Kaiba's timing. How annoying could one person's timing be?

"Hello?" Yugi answered, somewhere between upset and relieved they did not have to leave for Egypt just yet.

" _About time you answered my calls. You and I have a lot of business to discuss,"_ Kaiba said without preamble, ' _I'm pulling up to the back of your shop in just a few minutes. I expect you to be there."_

The line went dead as Kaiba hung up abruptly. Yugi stood there with the phone, not quite sure how to react to that.

Yami, however, sighed. "I gave him my word that I would duel for him. We'd better go." He started letting his form fade back into the Shadows as to not alert Yugi's grandfather or any of the patrons in the shop that anything magical was happening.

Yugi gathered all of their papers and carefully hid them away again. None of his friends could read the Ancient Egyptian text, but his grandfather could and Yugi didn't want him accidentally finding out something he shouldn't. He grabbed his deck and threw his Duel Disk in the bag with the remaining Millennium Items before heading downstairs.

' _Give me a sec,'_ Yugi said once they reached the kitchen, ' _I need to let Grandpa know I'm heading out. He still hasn't quite forgiven us for disappearing last time.'_

' _You didn't tell me that,'_ Yami frowned, feeling responsible for putting a rift in their relationship.

' _Because I knew you'd blame yourself like you're doing now,'_ Yugi replied knowingly.

"Grandpa!" Yugi stuck his head around the door into the shop, "I'm heading out. Kaiba needs to talk with me about some upcoming duels."

"Kaiba?" Solomon looked up surprised. The shop was empty right now so he was catching up on the news from a newspaper.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you with everything that happened since last night," Yugi said embarrassed.

"What happened last night?" Solomon set his paper down to properly look at his grandson. "Did it have anything to do with why Joey spent the night here?"

"Not really," Yugi answered, "Long story short, I agreed to duel in a few exhibition duels for Kaiba Land openings. Kaiba needs to discuss details with me. He's annoyed because I ignored his calls all last night and this morning."

"There haven't been any calls for you," Solomon said confused.

Yugi held up the small flip phone for his grandpa to see. "Kaiba gave me this last night so he could contact me with details and changes." As he held it, it started ringing again. "That would be him complaining that I'm not outside waiting for him."

"Seems like you have a lot to explain. Tell me about it later," his grandpa allowed, "Will you be home for dinner?"

"Hard to say," Yugi answered, "I'll try, but Kaiba may keep me a while. I'll call later if I'm not already home to let you know."

Solomon nodded and Yugi headed towards the back entrance where Kaiba was no doubt impatiently waiting.

' _Want to_ really _annoy Kaiba?'_ Yami asked mischievously before Yugi could open the door.

'... _What did you have in mind?'_

* * *

Joey walked around the back of Kame Game Shop, not wanting to disturb Gramps but also wanting to talk to Yugi. He didn't want to say anything earlier, but he felt like something was off with Bakura earlier today. Like he was being too accepting of the events of last night. Joey was aware of how well the spirit could imitate Bakura, but he didn't want to make blind accusations.

As he rounded the corner, he saw an unfortunate familiar sight: Yugi was climbing into a Kaiba Corp limo. He growled in frustration and punched a nearby lamppost before running his hands through his hair. The last time this happened he got pulled into the Millennium Puzzle and they had to fight Anubis. Then again, Yugi _did_ say he was going to help Kaiba out with some duels. Maybe this was just business.

He was about to call out to him, just in case, when he had to do a double-take. He could have _sworn_ Yugi just got into the limo, but he was exiting the shop just now…

What was going on?

Maybe Yugi forgot something in the shop and had to go back for it? It was plausible. Joey _had_ turned away for a minute and it would have been easy to miss something like that, but he had a nagging feeling that wasn't it.

That feeling said that he had seen _two_ versions of Yugi get into Kaiba's limo, though it didn't make any sense. If there were two Yugis, then it would stand to reason that Yami was one of those versions. If Yami was one of them, then that meant that they'd found a way to get Yami his own body. Joey would have thought their group of friends would be the first to know about it, after all, it was big news and it meant that the five of them could actually hang out without making Yugi or Yami play middleman to the other. So if that was the case, why was Kaiba privy to this information and not them?

Joey ran his hands through his hair, trying to make sense of everything. He knew he wasn't being told the whole story, Yugi had essentially told him as much under the pretense of danger. Well he wasn't going to take it anymore. When was his friend going to learn it did not matter how much danger there was, his friends would never abandon him? He thought Yugi had already come to terms with that, but it seemed that Joey was going to have to hit him over the head with it a bit harder this time.

He walked back around the front of the shop, where he knew Yugi's grandpa would be minding the shop. Maybe he knew something about what was happening.

"Hey, Gramps!" Joey greeted as he walked through the door.

Solomon blinked and lowered the paper he was reading. "Joey," he greeted, "Yugi just left."

"Yeah, I saw him leave," Joey chose not to mention the strange sight he saw. It might have been nothing after all. "Did he say where he was going?"

"He said something about agreeing to duel in some exhibition matches for Kaiba," the old man answered, "I guess Kaiba needed him for something."

So it _was_ that Kaiba was needing to talk business with Yugi. Well at least he didn't have to worry about another Anubis-like incident, that was a relief.

Solomon noticed Joey's thoughtful expression. "Is something wrong?" he asked the teen.

"Not really," Joey answered, "More of just a feeling."

"You have good instincts. You should trust them," his mentor said seriously, "And if it's something to do with my grandson, you should definitely follow through on them."

"It does have something to do with Yugi, I just can't put my finger on it," Joey admitted, "He's been doing things lately that aren't in his character. Every time I ask about it, he has an excuse ready. Sometime the Pharaoh will take over and answer instead. Even last night, he recovered a lot faster than I thought he would."

"Yes," Solomon said slowly, "What _did_ happen last night?"

Joey told him everything from the time he and Tristen found Yugi on the roof to the moment they went to sleep. Solomon's frown deepened throughout the story. It was clear Yugi hadn't mentioned anything that happened, not that he'd had much time to.

"I would have expected him to put up much more of a fuss about the Spirit of the Millennium Ring taking a soul," Solomon noted, "Especially the Pharaoh considering what happened in America."

"I thought the same. Though he might have just been more worried about Yugi at the time. Have you noticed Yugi acting strange at all?" Joey asked.

"He has either been running off to one place or another, or he's been wanting to spend time alone," Solomon thought aloud, "He keeps throwing around the excuse he and the Pharaoh need to figure out the Millennium Puzzle so the Pharaoh can safely retrieve his memories."

"Sounds about right," Joey mused, "He gives us that excuse all the time. He seems distracted now, like he's waiting to get away so he do something. And I believe him when he says it has something to do with the Puzzle, I just don't think it's the whole story."

"Yugi will tell us when he his ready," Solomon said confidently, picking the paper back up, "He's never kept anything important to himself for too long."

"Maybe you're right," Joey sighed. "Do you mind if I borrow your phone?"

"Of course. You know where it is."

"Thanks," Joey head to the back of the shop, where he could talk privately. While he trusted Gramps judgement, he also said to follow his instincts, and right now Joey's instincts were telling him to follow Yugi and find out what was going on. He refused to let Yugi put himself in danger if he could help it; knowing Yugi, he'd probably have some nobel response for it.

He quickly dialed a familiar number and waited for the other end to pick up.

" _Hello?"_

"Tristen, it's me," Joey greeted, "I need you hear me out and tell me if I'm overreacting or going crazy…"

* * *

 **So I know at least some of you are certain that Yugi's friends wouldn't put up with his behavior for long, and you're right. What will they discover? When will Yugi get to Egypt? Was it really Malik who was in the vision? Will Yugi come to terms with Yami no Games? How will all of this go down? Answers... eventually.**

 **Please review!**


	11. Old Bearers

**I know I haven't been as consistent with my updates as I used to be, and I'm sorry. This chapter gave me the worst writers block I've ever faced, but my class has finished and all I had to do this week was procter finals, so I was able to work on this more. Speaking of finals, I hope all of you who had them passed with flying colors! Also congratulations to everybody graduating!**

 **Anyway, on with the chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Yugi?" Ishizu greeted, confusion colored her voice as he stepped out of a shadow in her kitchen.

"Hi, Ishizu," Yugi greeted with a smile, though even _she_ could tell that there was something bothering the young man, "Yami should be here in a minute. He had to drag Kaiba along."

"Kaiba?" she asked bewildered. She could understand the Pharaoh easily; after all the thief had paid her a visit already. She could even understand them coming separately since she knew they had the knowledge to create a temporary form for the Pharaoh. But Kabia? The same person who steadfastly ignored everything she had said about Battle City and wrote everything slightly magical off as "hallucinations"? She thought he would always be too stubborn to accept anything that had to do with the Millennium Items and his ancient counterpart.

Sure enough though, only a few seconds later the Shadows shifted and Kaiba stumbled out being pushed by Yami. To her surprise, he was holding the Millennium Rod in his hand, much like he did in Ancient Egypt, and was _not_ muttering about how everything must be a trick.

"Told you," Yami smirked at his rival who was shuddering from the trip through the Shadows and glaring at the Pharaoh.

"How many times do you have to hold this over my head?" he growled, "Didn't I tell you you made your point very clear the other night? I have a company to run and a tournament to plan. I don't have time for side trips to Egypt!"

"We shouldn't be here long," Yugi told him.

Yami turned to Ishizu who was trying not to stare in shock. "Sorry for intruding so suddenly," he apologized.

"So you'll apologize to _her_ ," Kaiba muttered under his breath.

" _She_ doesn't have an ego bigger than Japan," Yami countered.

Ishizu quickly regained her composure. "Pharaoh," she cut in before they could start bickering again, "What is going on? Why are you here?"

Yami shifted his attention back to the woman and stood next to his hikari. "We think that the Millenium Eye has chosen a new bearer," he said, "The Necklace showed us a vision." Yugi frowned at the mention of the vision, which Yami ignored, keeping his attention on Ishizu.

"One of us?" she asked, referring to the Ishtar family.

"Malik," Yugi nodded.

Ishizu joined in Yugi's frown. She and Malik were the only one outside of the Item Bearers to know what was truly going on. They had assumed that the Items were likely to choose those who had links to Ancient Egypt. The fact that Seto Kaiba stood in her kitchen, holding the Millennium Rod, and griping about missing work, enforced that theory. As far as she knew, however, neither she nor Malik had a direct connection to the past. They were descendants rather than reincarnations.

Kaiba muttered something about lunatics under his breath, causing Ishizu to roll her eyes. At least that much about Kaiba hadn't changed.

"He's out at the market right now," she said, "But he should be back soon. Odion is with him."

"Does Odion know about any of this?" Yami asked.

"No, just Malik and myself," Ishizu assured, "Odion was out when we found that information and we have not told him. He has already suffered so much because of our family, we did not want to burden him with this."

"Well, at least you're playing by those rules too," Kaiba grouched.

"Kaiba's upset he can't tell Mokuba about the fact he now owns the Rod," Yugi explained.

The CEO was about to retort, when something in the bag Yugi had brought with them started glowing. Everyone's attention was drawn to it as Yugi looked inside, expecting they Eye to be the cause as an indication Malik was near, just as the Rod had for Kaiba. Instead, the Necklace was glowing again.

"Again?" Yami inquired as Yugi repressed a sigh and reached in. Even Kaiba looked mildly intrigued. No vision played this time though.

The Necklace continued to shine as Yugi pulled it out. The four of them stared at it curiously, trying to figure out why it was acting the way it was.

"I think," Yami said slowly, "That the Necklace is wanting to reclaim you, Ishizu, as its Bearer."

* * *

"Have you guys thought about what you're going to do after graduation?"

The boys looked up from their food at Tea's question. A few days had passed since Yugi had traveled to Egypt and the group was just enjoying the summer day at Burger World. Yugi was no longer in possession of any Millennium Item bar the Puzzle. It turned out that Malik _was_ in fact chosen to wield the Eye, and he didn't even have to rip out one of his own to use it. Yugi had left the Ishtar's with the number for his cell phone, much to the displeasure of the CEO who gave it to him.

Yugi and Yami had drastically cut back the amount of Shadow training they did, only working on expanding the time Yami could maintain his form when they were sure they were alone. Besides the minor panic attack when Kaiba had told them Joey might have seen _both_ of them, there were now five Mages, seven when Yami and Bakura were in their own forms, and finding places and time for all of them to meet and practice without drawing suspicion was difficult. It gave him more time with his friends, working off any suspicion, however well placed it might have been.

Ishizu had called him the very next day, worried about the future, though she refused to elaborate. Instead, she gave a vague promise that she and Malik would prepare something "just in case" and that she would explain more when she arranged the details.

"That's more than a year away," Joey waved off Tea's inquiry, "Plenty of time to figure it out."

"Not if you want to go to university," Tea shot back, "You need to take entrance exams and make sure you meet all of the requirements."

"You're going to try to get into that school in America, right?" Yugi asked her, distracting her from Joey's lack of concern about the future.

Tea nodded. "I actually sent in my application and videos this morning. It'll probably be a while before I actually hear anything though."

"You'll get in," Yugi said confidently.

"Definitely," Tristen agreed as Joey backed him up with a nod, "They'd be idiots not to take you."

"Thanks, guys. But honestly, it'll be a miracle to be accepted. I heard the director at the school I want is… selective. I feel confident about my backup schools though."

"Isn't that normal for that type of school?" Tristen asked.

Unease began to roll in Yugi's stomach, though he was unsure why. The Shadows seemed to hiss in disdain at the mere mention of the director of that school.

' _Yami?'_ Yugi asked uncertainly.

' _I feel it too,'_ Yami assured.

"Of course," Tea answered Tristen's question, "But there's a lot of rumors flying around about this particular school."

"Like what?" Yugi asked, trying to ignore the gnawing from the Shadows.

"It's just rumors," Tea waved off, "I'm sure it's nothing; just people bitter they didn't make it in."

"I've seen you perform," Joey told her, "You just as good, if not better than some of those 'professionals'. You'll get in for sure."

"Yeah. We'll even try to make it to your first show," Tristen said enthusiastically.

Yugi nodded along with them, wanting to believe that these rumors were just that, but the way the Shadows were acting made him think otherwise. Yami was having flashbacks to when he was first freed from the Puzzle, remembering the Shadows felt the same whenever someone had wronged Yugi or someone he cared about.

' _No way!'_ Yugi picked up Yami's thoughts.

' _If it comes down to it, you won't have to do anything,'_ Yami replied.

' _Are you really considering this?!'_

' _We may have no other choice.'_

' _Don't you think you could be overreacting just a bit?'_

Yami paused. His hikari had a point there. Perhaps he was just remembering his primal desire to keep Yugi safe.

' _I wouldn't do anything unless you were certain,'_ Yami settled on, ' _I made a promise to you long ago to not do anything you are not comfortable with. I broke that promise once and you paid the price. I have no desire to do that again.'_

' _I know,'_ Yugi relented.

* * *

Yugi was so caught up in his conversation with Yami that he didn't notice Joey watching him with a mix of concern and suspicion. Joey knew Yugi was talking with the Pharaoh because he was staring off into space, and it had to be important because Yugi kept frowning.

Tristen did not take Joey's claim to seeing _two_ Yugis to heart, but did agree that they should keep better tabs on him. So they spent the day staked out in front of the Kaiba Corp Tower, waiting to see if anything strange happened. Nothing did. Yugi left and walked home by himself after several hours, looking as though he had not slept for a couple days. Meetings with Kaiba could do that though.

As much as Joey valued Tristen's insight, Gramps' words kept running through his head: _You have good instincts. You should trust them._ He had decided to not tell Yugi he thought he saw _both_ him and the Pharaoh the other day, but resolved to keep a close eye on him, to see if any other strange happenings occurred when Yugi thought he was alone. It was almost like Yugi could read his mind, because the moment he planned his course of action, Yugi started acting normal again. He stopped making excuses to be alone and found more time to hang out with his friends.

Joey toyed briefly with the idea that Yugi _had_ read his mind, he was in possession of the Millennium Eye after all, but quickly dismissed the thought. Yugi wouldn't use the Items like that; nor would he use Items like the Eye or Rod on his friends. Not after all the trouble those Items caused them. Truth be told, Yugi wouldn't ever use _any_ Item on his friends unless it was to help them, and even then, he wouldn't do it without consent.

"Everything okay, Yug?" he asked as Yugi's face cleared, drawing Tea and Tristen's attention to their friend.

"Yes," Yugi assured, though he still looked thoughtful about something.

"You sure?" Tea asked, also noticing Yugi's look, "It looks like something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Yugi smiled, "Just talking with Yami about something."

Tea and Tristen seemed to accept the excuse, but Joey didn't; something felt...off. Since when did Yugi keep secrets?

 _Since Ishizu called and said the Pharaoh could get his memories yet_ , Joey answered himself bitterly. He was a little surprised that Tea didn't seem to catch on; she tended to be the most perceptive one in the group. Then again, maybe she did and was just a better actor than he thought. But Tea also wasn't one to let things slide like this.

He was broken from his thoughts by Yugi's phone ringing. Yugi checked the ID and paused.

"It's Kaiba," he answered the unspoken question.

"Ignore him," Tristen advised, "He can't expect you to rearrange your life to his whims."

"You didn't hear the rant he went on the last time I ignored his calls," Yugi joked, flipping the phone open. "Not a good time, Kaiba," he greeted.

Joey frowned. That kind of bluntness was more characteristic of the Pharaoh rather than Yugi.

" _It never is with you,"_ the disembodied voice carried from the other side loud enough for them to hear.

Yugi snorted, "It's not my fault you pick the worst times. I'm out with my friends now, so I'll call you back later."

There was a pause, and then, " _We've encountered a problem with one of the setups and we need you here. Bring your friends if you must."_

Yugi frowned, as did Joey, Tristen and Tea. Since when did Kaiba openly admit to needing help from Yugi? Especially when it involved his company.

The small teen looked around at his friends, silently asking their opinion. Well, at least Yugi hadn't changed so much that he would put an ass like Kaiba in front of time with his friends. The Puzzle flashed briefly and Yami was left in Yugi's place.

"What sort of problem?" he demanded, "Can't it wait?"

" _If it could wait, why would I be calling you now, Muto?"_ Kaiba growled, " _Just get yourself over here so we can get it straightened out."_ The line went dead and left Yami glaring at the phone with a face that said he was contemplating throwing it across the room.

"I wonder what Kaiba needs," Tea said curiously.

"The guy has obviously never heard of the word 'please,'" Tristen crossed his arms.

"Yeah," Joey agreed, "What right does he have to order you around?"

Yami sighed. "I gave my word that I would duel for him in his upcoming tournament to promote a new park. It must have something to do with how it will work. We should go see what it is."

"Since when does Rich Boy need help planning a tournament?" Joey voiced his silent question from earlier.

"Since the publicity I can give him is worth it," Yami replied, leading the way out, "Kaiba Corp needs a good reputation to fulfill some of the plans Kaiba wants to implement. The last couple of tournaments have attracted some negative attention, and my support can help override those. Especially with how obvious it is that the two of us do not like each other."

"So he's just using you for the publicity?" Tristen asked outraged.

"The nerve!" Joey joined in.

"At least he's not doing it out of spite," Yami calmed them, "And I don't mind. I happen to believe in a lot of the things Kaiba wants to accomplish."

"Like what?" Tea asked.

"We've been sworn to secrecy," Yami teased, "So I can't say."

"One of you guys was sworn to secrecy, you mean," Tristen corrected, slinging an arm around the short king, "So either you or Yugi wasn't sworn to anything."

"We both swore," Yami allowed Tristen's arm to stay where it was. "Even if Kaiba didn't realize it."

"Must be big then."

"It certainly has the potential to be."

"Man! Now I _really_ want to know!" Tristen whined.

* * *

The four of them continued the chatter all the way to Kaiba Corp. Mostly, it was a combination of Joey and Tristen trying to get information from Yami and Tea telling them off for trying to get him to break a promise. Yugi was laughing in the back of Yami's mind as the boys tried yet again to get Yami to spill the secret.

They were only a block away when Yami nearly doubled over from a wave of unease that broke over him, leaving him slightly nauseous. It was similar to the unease that rolled through them when Tea had mentioned the dance director, but much stronger. The Shadows were pulling at him, urging him to act towards something that was clearly nearby.

"Yugi!" Tea cried as Yami stopped dead in his tracks.

"You okay, man?" Joey asked, all manner of teasing aside.

Yami grimaced as another waved rolled through him. "I don't know," he answered honestly.

' _What do they want?'_ Yugi asked, trying to ignore the feeling.

' _I have no idea,'_ Yami replied, looking around and trying to spot what it was the Shadows wanted them to do.

' _It's the second time today.'_

' _It seems like the Shadows are growing impatient.'_

' _We got all the Items a bearer!'_ Yugi exclaimed, ' _We continue practicing with them! What more could they want?'_

Yami had an idea, but knew Yugi wouldn't like it, and to be honest, he didn't like it either.

"Let's just get to Kaiba Corp," Yami said aloud, pushing away the Shadows as much as he could, "Probably just something we ate last night."

"If you're sick, you should just go home," Tea suggested, "Kaiba can wait."

Yami shook his head, "I'm fine. Let's go."

His friends looked skeptical, but accepted his decision. The rest of the walk was quiet, the joking atmosphere from before was gone and replaced with an uncomfortable silence. Fortunately they were so close and the silence didn't last long.

Mokuba was waiting for them at the entrance to Kaiba Corp. "Hey guys!" he greeting with a smile, "Seto sent me down to meet you guys. Yugi, he's waiting for you up in his office. I'm supposed to entertain the rest of you until their done."

"I'll try to make this fast," Yami promised in a surprisingly steady voice. The tugging feeling from the Shadows had only gotten stronger as they got closer to the building; they wanted him to go in the other direction for reasons he didn't know. At least he could see if Kaiba was feeling the same.

* * *

 **And there we go. We all know that Yugi will have to come to terms with everything sooner or later, the real question is _how_. Is Yami going to have to break his word to Yugi _again_? What a conundrum: a promise to keep on one side and a question of sanity on the other. How long will Joey's suspicions hold out?**

 **I really want to put some actual duels in this story, but I'm afraid I don't actually know the game well enough to write an enthralling duel with all sorts of twists and turns. I'll _try_ for an upcoming chapter, but I make no promises it will actually happen or if it will be any good if it does.**

 **I'm going to try to get at least one more chapter out before the end of the year... we'll see what happens. I'm also planning on editing the first few chapters of _Shadow Mages Don't Mix with Wizards_ to better fit the timeline that seems to be laying itself out. Nothing major will happen, just enough to make everything consistent (especially with things that I have planned out later on).**

 **I hope you enjoyed this! Please review and Happy Holidays!**


	12. Progress

**Holy crap, I'm alive! Sorry for the hiatus, I was trying to get a backlog of chapters ready so I could pretend I could stay on top of everything but then writer's block hit hard. The good news is that I started to do that, the bad news is that I only have fragments of the next chapter.**

 **To make up for the long break, here's a nice long chapter for you guys. Enjoy!**

* * *

"About time you made it here."

The first words out of Kaiba's mouth once Yami made it up to his office did nothing to help his mood. The Shadows had ceased their barrage about halfway to his destination, leaving worry behind. Had they missed their chance to act? What repercussions would this have if they did?

Yami opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when he noticed Kaiba was not waiting alone. Ishizu and Malik were in the room too. The Necklace at home around Ishizu's neck and the Eye was hung by a cord around Malik's.

' _That was fast,'_ Yugi noted. The duo must have arrive via Shadow Travel, but it seemed they mastered the skill much faster than the rest of them had.

"Benefits of having owned an Item before," Malik told them, clearly having heard the thought.

Yami glared at him. "Stay out of our head," he growled. He had to deal with enough of that from an enemy, he didn't need it from a friend.

Malik looked surprised. "Was… did you not say that out loud?"

"No," Kaiba answered for Yami, "Just like I didn't say anything earlier. For someone so smug, you might want to work on determining what is said and what is thought. Save yourself some embarrassment in the future."

"At least I'm actually using my Item," Malik shot at him, "You've barely touched the Rod."

The smirk Kaiba was wearing quickly turned into a scowl at his words. "Unlike you, I have a business to run," he shot back, "I don't have time to goof off as you apparently do."

"Enough," Yami growled, glaring at the two of them, "Why are we here, Kaiba? Clearly it is not for the reasons you told us."

Kaiba rubbed his head in frustration. "Stop speaking in plural when there's only one of you," he groaned.

Yami glared, but he and Yugi quickly separated their spirits into two bodies. They had become rather quick at it, only taking a few seconds.

"You don't need to do that every time!" Kaiba barked at them, shooting a wary glance at the door. Nobody would enter unannounced though, not if they valued their life. Kaiba didn't kill anyone anymore, but the reputation was not forgotten.

"Answer the question," Yami insisted, not letting him change the subject. He was backed up by Yugi, whose glare was far less intimidating than Yami's but effective nonetheless.

"Your _friends-_ " he gestured to the Ishtars "-just showed up in my office and demanded that we all meet. Your psychotic friend should be here soon too."

Yami narrowed his eyes at Kaiba's tone, but chose to turn to Ishizu instead. He knew the Necklace had been giving visions rather frequently without a true master. Now that the Necklace was with its proper Bearer, he could only imagine what Ishizu was having to go through.

"You've seen something," Yugi said quietly.

"I haven't seen anything definite," Ishizu corrected, "Nothing more than what I have already seen, but it is enough to tell me that we should be prepared."

The tension was high in the room, though they would hardly admit that. There was nothing ominous in her words, but for some reason, Yami felt a chill run through him. He glanced over at Yugi who caught his eye. A worried look flashed over his face quickly, telling Yami his hikari felt the same way.

"Prepared for what?" Yami inquired with a hard edge to his voice.

"It had better not be anything less than the worst," Kaiba grouched at the woman.

"Your _charming_ company makes it so it wouldn't be anything else," Ishizu said coolly. Yami didn't blame her. Although he seemed to come to terms with the fact that he was the Bearer of the Rod, Yami was a Pharaoh, and he and Yugi were separate people, it seemed old habits die hard.

' _Or maybe he's worried that if he let's up the facade he has in place, even in private, he might slip around other people,'_ Yugi commented.

' _You think he's doing this to watch out for all of us?'_ Yami asked skeptically.

' _Mokuba more than anyone else, but it's possible,'_ Yugi answered.

"Well this looks like a cozy gathering," Bakura's gravelly voice broke the tension that had been building as the white-haired thief stepped out of the shadowy wall. "It's not everyday someone is _personally_ invited to a meeting with Seto Kaiba."

"Can it, you lunatic," Kaiba growled, " _She_ wouldn't leave until I had called and her brother threatened to wreak havoc in my building. I hardly had a choice in the matter."

"What took you so long?" Malik asked.

"Surely you felt the Shadows?" Bakura crossed his arms.

"We did," Yami answered for himself and Yugi, "But we were with our friends, we could hardly do anything about it without raising suspicion."

"It stopped on our way up," Yugi added, "Did you have anything to do with that?"

"I know I felt it," Ishizu added, "But Malik and I are supposed to be in Egypt right now. We couldn't risk being seen by someone who might recognize us."

Kaiba just grunted and stood up from his chair. Yami took it that meant he had felt something too but didn't want to admit it.

Bakura's expression grew thoughtful. "Ryou and I dealt with it. Ironically it was a thief."

"You mean _you_ dealt with it," Ryou's voice joined them as he separated from Bakura, " _I_ stood back and watched. I thought Yami no Games were just normal games played in the Shadows."

"Yami no Games can take the form of any game you can conceive," Yami told him, thinking of the "games" he had played that really couldn't be considered such by conventional standards. But so long as rules could be put to it, the Shadows would accept it. His thoughts leaked across the bond, earning him a disapproving look from Yugi.

"Now that we have _both_ manifestations of split personalities, can we please get on with whatever it is so I can get back to running my business?"

"Well aren't you a sourpuss..." Malik crossed his arms.

" _I_ -"

"-have a business to run," Malik finished for him, "We've heard."

Kaiba scowled at the blond man, but didn't say anything. The sooner he allowed these people to do what they needed, the sooner he could have his office back.

Ishizu took over after it was clear everyone was done talking. "My visions have shown me that it may become necessary for us to go into hiding very soon. Dangers assault us from all directions, putting those we care about at risk. As the Pharaoh discovered on his way here, we cannot act openly while around our friends and family."

"And if we don't act when the Shadows want us to, well… you saw how Fluffy and I were," Malik continued flippantly.

" _What_ did you call me?" Bakura growled dangerously, slowly turning to the Tomb Keeper.

Everyone tensed except for Malik who wore a sly grin on his face. Ishizu's eyes darted between the angry thief and her brother.

"Fluffy," Malik repeated, "'Cause your hair is so light and _poofy_. Ryou's is kinda flatter."

The room held its breath, wondering just how insane Malik was. Yugi wondered if Malik was truly the right choice for the Eye and this was just a different type of insanity than they were used to. Not only had Malik just given Bakura a cutesy nickname, he had also just potentially insulted his hikari.

"Do you have a death wish, _Keeper_?" Bakura asked, advancing on Malik.

"Not particularly," Malik said idly.

Bakura opened his mouth to retort, but Yami beat him to the punch. " _Enough_!" he barked, unknowingly changing to Egyptian and pulling at the Shadows. This was _his_ Court and he would not have them behaving as children while they were having an official meeting. " _You can have your fued later. We are here for another reason and I know_ we _would like to get back to our friends."_

There was a brief pause as they realized that what Yami spoke was _not_ Japanese, yet they all understood. The room had darkened slightly, emphasizing the shadows on his face and giving him a rather intimidating appearance. Yugi was looking at him curiously, as if something he said was out of character.

' _What?'_ Yami asked through the bond as he continued to glare at Malik and Bakura..

' _You called them "_ your _court",'_ Yugi answered, ' _and you recognized this as an official meeting.'_

Yami paused and thought back. ' _I guess I did…'_

" _Since when could you speak Egyptian?"_ Malik asked quietly in the same language, though it wasn't so surprising from him; no doubt he had studied it intensively as a child.

" _Latent memories,"_ Bakura informed them, " _He and his hikari can, just as Ryou can because of me. He's been able to ever since Ishizu sent those papers written in the language."_

" _Haven't had much of a chance to use it though,"_ Yugi muttered, not fully understanding he could speak the language rather than just read it until this moment. Yami had done all the talking the last time.

" _That_ was _a rather unpleasant surprise,"_ Yami told Ishizu.

Ishizu winced at the reprimand. " _I had hoped to keep the information safe,"_ she explained, " _There are not many people, especially in Japan, who can speak and read it. I had a suspicion that once the Pharaoh saw the written language, he would be able to understand it. The fact that you share his soul allows you to understand it as well."_

" _Why can_ I _understand you lunatics?"_ Seto demanded and paused as his words reached his ears. " _For that matter why the hell can I speak this damn language I have never studied, much less heard of?!"_

" _Because you're the reincarnation of the High Priest,"_ Bakura answered, " _You have a connection to Egypt just like the rest of us."_

" _One day I'll wake up from whatever nightmare I'm in and things will be normal again."_

" _Can we please get back on task?"_ Ryou asked quietly.

" _Certainly,"_ Ishizu answered smoothly, glad the Pharaoh had interceded on her brother's idiocracy, " _It's probably safer if we speak in Egyptian anyway, far fewer people know this language."_

" _Ishizu,"_ Yami addressed her, " _You told us after we left you the Necklace that you and Malik would prepare something 'just in case'. Is this danger you see what you spoke of?"_

" _It is,"_ Ishizu confirmed, " _Malik and I have started preparing an underground sanctuary in the desert. It is well hidden and has plenty of room for us all, should the day come we all need to leave."_

" _Much cozier than the dungeon we grew up in,"_ Malika assured.

" _You want me to run away?!"_ Kaiba demanded outraged, " _I don't care what_ 'danger' _is coming. I never turn away from a challenge, no matter what it is!"_

" _I'm with Kaiba on this one,"_ Yugi stated, " _I can't keep this from my friends forever, and I don't want to abandon them. Joey is already suspicious and he's gotten Tristen on board a bit as well. It won't be long before Tea joins in as well. Isn't there a way around this?"_

" _It may become necessary to leave and train for a while so we don't endanger them,"_ Yami said softly. He wasn't happy about it either, but it was better than getting their friends hurt because of their actions.

" _But there hasn't been any danger to them so far!"_ Yugi argued, " _All of it has been towards us!"_

The universe just had to prove Yugi wrong at that moment. Kaiba's phone rang, startling all of them. If the blinking red light was anything to go by, it was likely his security detail.

"What?!" Kaiba growled irritably at whoever was on the other end.

"Mr. Kaiba! Something terrible has happened!" The voice was muffled, but the panic was undeniable. There was some kind of shouting going on in the background that sounded like a fight. One of the voices was easily identified as Joey, though his vocabulary left something to be desired.

Kaiba paused for a moment, shooting an accusing glance at Ishizu, who looked bewildered, before putting the man on speaker and demanding, "What is it?"

There was a scuffle on the other end of the line and a short cry before another voice answered, the fighting in the background could still be heard, though it was quieting. "Listen up, Fancy Pants. Me and my partners have got your little brother here on the third floor. Make your way down here like a good boy and we can talk."

"How the hell did you get into my building?"

"All good things come in time. Oh, and I know you've got the King of Games up there with you, tell him I have his friends as well."

Both Yugi's eyes went wide with shock while Yami's narrowed dangerously. It was hardly the first time their friends had been in danger or been used against them, but the fact that Joey could no longer be heard yelling obscenities in the background was worrying and it was only _then_ that the Shadows began tugging at them again.

Kaiba eyed Yugi and Yami carefully, remembering the last time his friends were held hostage. The circumstances were slightly different then, but the purpose was the same.

"How do I know you have my brother?" Kaiba asked, "For all I know, this is a trap."

Laughter rang from the phone, "Only a Duelist thinks as such! Of course it's a trap, but the question is, will you activate it to save your kin?" The line went dead and the dial tone filled the room with its annoying, monotonous note.

"Was that guy for real?" Malik broke the silence.

"There is no question," Yami growled, "You heard Joey in the background there. Something has happened."

"Yes, I'll be having words with the mutt about the language he uses around Mokuba," Kaiba muttered, pulling his Duel Disk from his desk drawer and shoving the Rod into his belt, "But whoever they are, I will make them pay for this."

"You didn't see anything about this, Ishizu?" Yugi asked.

The woman shook her head, her face filled with confusion and worry. "If I had, I would have warned you."

"The Shadows are begging for a Yami no Game," Bakura spoke up, "Surely you can feel it?"

Yami looked over to Yugi at that. He could certainly feel it, and their desire for him to make up for his missed opportunity earlier. However, he had made a promise to his hikari and he intended to keep it, consequences be damned.

Yugi looked away as Yami's gaze landed on him. He hated the idea, but he also thought about his friends. Something bad had to have happened for Joey to go quiet like he did, and he didn't hear anything from Tristen or Tea either. It was possible that they had simply been separated, but there was a feeling deep in his gut that that was not the case. He allowed the Shadow-constructed body to fade as to not raise more suspicion than necessary.

"It doesn't matter," Kaiba declared, marching towards the door, "I will make them pay for even setting a finger on Mokuba. You all had better be gone by the time I return. Muto, let's go."

"We will arrange another time to meet soon," Ishizu promised, leading Malik towards the Shadows, "Good luck, Pharaoh." Yami nodded and followed Kaiba out of the office.

* * *

Yami fidgeted in the elevator downstairs. It was certainly out of character for him, but Kaiba wisely chose to not say anything. Yugi's silence on the matter was slightly worrying, but Yami knew that if something happened, his hikari would not hesitate to speak up. He was preparing himself for two possibilities: either he would play a Yami no Game, as the Shadows urged, or he would not. It all depended on Yugi; a responsibility that was currently weighing heavily on his hikari.

"Be prepared for anything," Kaiba broke the silence, "If they were able to over take my security _and_ take down your friends, then these people mean some serious business."

"I am," Yami assured. The vulgarity he heard from Joey and then the sudden absence of it played at the forefront of his mind. He knew what the worst situation would be, but he was trying hard not to think about it.

The elevator chimed pleasantly once it had reached its destination. The doors opened, revealing a quiet, empty floor.

"Why were they on this floor?" Yami asked quietly, vigilant eyes taking in everything. The men had implied a trap, but so far he didn't notice anything.

"Hospitality for important guests is on this floor," Kaiba answered, also trying to find anything out of the ordinary, "Mokuba seems to like your friends, so it's not surprising he brought them here. It was supposed to be more secure. If word gets out..."

"I know," Yami replied quickly.

The two quickly made their way through the floor to where the intruders were most likely to be. The floor was empty and Yami could only assume the Kaiba had sent down a message to evacuate it. They were so on edge as they searched that they nearly attacked when the Shadows shifted on the wall and Bakura stepped out.

"What are you doing here?" Yami hissed once he recovered.

Bakura sent him a short glare, but answered the question. "I'm not an idiot. If you have to start a Yami no Game with these people, which at this point is extremely likely, then your friends will know the truth," he explained, "For the safety and sanity of all parties I will make sure they stay ignorant of our activities."

"Lay one finger on Mokuba and you'll meet the same fate as the men who dared threaten me," Kaiba growled.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Bakura sneered, "The Ring allows me to cast spells. I have one to alter memories; make them forget the entire series of events."

"You've done this before?" Yami asked suspiciously.

Bakura nodded, "A couple of times on your friends alone," he admitted, "Unintentionally after our first duel on Duelist Kingdom, and then once we entered the castle. Tristen and Tea went exploring and ended up in some restricted sections; Pegasus wasn't too happy. They still don't truly remember the event."

' _They wouldn't have to know?'_ Yugi asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

' _Apparently not,'_ Yami replied thoughtfully. He didn't like the idea of Bakura messing with their friends' heads, but it could very well be better than the alternative.

"We appreciate it," Yami said seriously, "Wait out of sight to see if it's necessary though."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the thief, but could not deny that it would keep Mokuba safer if he did not remember anything that was about to happen. Without another word, Kaiba walked briskly past Bakura, resuming his quest to rescue his brother. With a cautious nod to Bakura, Yami hurried after him.

* * *

If looks could kill, the steel door that separated them from the intruders would have given up its hold and fallen flat on its face. Maybe even landing on top of one of the men who tied them up and threw them in this vault. At least they left the lights on for them to see each other. Without the men to watch them, they were free to start trying to pick apart the knots around each others wrists.

Tristen had been the first to fire off his mouth at the men who quickly found a way to quiet him. Once they had quieted him, however, Joey picked up where he left off, spouting things that Kaiba would probably kill him for saying around Mokuba. Now he wished that he had stayed quiet because they had gone and gagged both Tea and Mokuba as a precaution.

It was obvious how scared Tea was, though she had tried to protect Mokuba as well. They would all have some nasty bruises for their efforts tomorrow. Joey knew he at least had some sore ribs and bloody nose, he only hoped that nothing was broken. He certainly didn't go down without a fight. The men fought dirty though. Seriously, how did they manage to get so far into Kaiba Corp with guns?

"Boss," one of the men suddenly said, his voice heavily muffled so that they had to strain to hear him. Even so, they only caught parts of it, "Seto - and - Muto are - here. What - plan?"

The man who was identified as the leader answered easily, "Excellent, -. You and - keep guard of -. I - _negotiating_ \- two."

It didn't take much to fill in the blanks. Yugi and Kaiba were almost there and the vault door was being guarded by the boss's goons. No doubt they were to be used as bargaining chips against them.

There were no questions asked and Joey could only assume that the two men with the boss had taken up positions on either side of the vault door. It was a slight overkill; they couldn't go anywhere even if they wanted to. Even so, Joey worked faster to untie Tristen's hands. Maybe they could find a way out before things escalated further than they already had.

They didn't have to wait long before the sound of a door being thrown open was heard and the slow clap of the boss let them know it had to be Yugi and Kaiba. It was probably the Pharaoh, Joey reasoned, and he was glad the Pharaoh couldn't see them. The sight might drive him to do something rash.

"Welcome," the boss greeted, "- apologize - drastic measures, - necessary in - to get - two of you - seriously."

"Trust - have my attention," Kaiba growled. He didn't sound too happy either, but then again, these men _had_ kidnapped Mokuba. "- here now, - release - ther."

"I don't think I will," the boss answered casually, clearly much closer to the door, "He's my insurance to get what I want."

There was the faintest sound of some movement, probably Kaiba trying to attack him, but the audible click of guns cocking stopped it. Firearms were typically not something they had to deal with. Magical powers that could steal souls and power a monster bent on destroying the world? Sure. Guns? Not so much.

Joey finally got Tristen's knots undone and the brunette quickly finished untying himself before moving to Mokuba as Joey worked his way to Tea. With one set of hands completely free and the ability to actually see what they were doing, Mokuba came free in far less time than Tristen did.

"Guys," he said once he removed his gag, "We have to get out of here."

"We know," Tristen assured, helping Joey with Tea, "We're working on it."

"No, you don't understand," Mokuba said somewhat frantically, "All of the air will be pulled from the room unless the override is activated from the outside!"

The three teens froze at that. "Why the hell would Kaiba have something like that in place!?" Tristen exploded.

"It's something to prevent thieves from hanging out in the vault all day and waiting for everyone to go home," Mokuba explained, "There's always supposed to be two people whenever any vault has to be entered. One to enter the vault and the other to wait outside in case something like this happens."

"What do you want?" Yami's muffled voice floated through the thick door. He did _not_ sound happy.

"I - you - work for me," the boss replied casually.

Joey scoffed at that as his bindings finally came off. There was no way that Yugi would work for anyone and pigs would fly in a snowy hell before Kaiba gave up his company. Kaiba's retort was indiscernible, but the tone told them that he had basically told them such.

"There's got to be some kind of way out of here," Joey said, cutting off any more of the conversation they were listening to and looking around the vault. Surely Kaiba had put in some kind of failsafe?

"It has to be opened from the outside," Mokuba reiterated, "Seto made sure to close off any other potential escapes."

"How much air do we have in here?" Tea asked worriedly.

"The system hasn't kicked on yet," Mokuba replied, "So we're fine for right now. Once it does though, we'll probably have fifteen to twenty minutes."

"So Yugi and Kaiba need to beat those guys fast," Tristen concluded, looking to the door.

"I don't think they'll relent from just a duel," Joey glowered in the same direction, "They are not duelists, just thugs."

"So they'll have to overpower them somehow."

"But Yugi hates violence!" Tea protested, "The Pharaoh wouldn't do anything to hurt Yugi!"

"If it came down to the wire and it was to protect Yugi and the things Yugi cares about, I think the Pharaoh would do just about anything," Joey said, remembering Duelist Kingdom.

"Not after what happened with the Orichalcos he wouldn't," Tristen refuted.

A low humming sound interrupted their conversation. The teens turned to Mokuba alarmed. The boy just nodded and said quietly, "Our time starts now."

Joey quickly put his ear to the door to see where things stood for them. He couldn't hear anything, not even the slightest sound. They could heard talking and movement earlier, even if they had to strain to hear it. Now there was nothing. What happened?

"Yugi doesn't know," Tea whispered, both horrified and upset.

"Seto would have probably told him," Mokuba replied just as quietly, trying to conserve their quickly diminishing air supply, "I'm sure they'll get us out."

"I don't hear anything out there," Joey reported, "I don't know what's going on."

* * *

"Work for _you_ ," Kaiba scoffed, "You must be joking. I built this company up from the ground. Like hell will I downgrade to your pathetic level."

"That's a shame," the boss said calmly, "You see, I know about the security system you have in place in that vault. If you want to save your brother, you'll join me."

Yami shot a questioning glance at Kaiba who looked furious. "The air will be pulled out of that vault," he said shortly, "Employees who go in there are supposed to be in pairs so someone can open it from the outside in case something happens."

The implication were not lost on Yami and the glare he sent the men actually had then take a step back before they recovered. They knew they had the upperhand in this situation.

Yami ran through the possible scenarios in his mind. Clearly a duel was not going to solve anything here, not that they would have time for one. It would be easy to Shadow Travel from here into the vault, but they had yet to try that with somebody who did not hold an Item. Plus it would definitely reveal what exactly was happening with the Items, and despite Bakura's reassurance, Yami really didn't want to have to come to that. The only option left that Yami could see was a Yami no Game.

The low hum of a generator filled the silence that settled over the standoff. Kaiba's face set into hard lines at the sound and boss's face split into a psychotic grin.

"Tick tock, boys," he chortled, "How much air do you think they'll have?"

"Are you really going to commit murder to get what you want?" Yami yelled at them.

"I'm not killing them," he denied, " _You are_. You can release them at any time. Just come work for me."

Yugi stirred in the back of his mind and Yami realized the anger he felt was not entirely his own. These men had managed to do what he thought was impossible: get Yugi angry.

His hikari only spoke two words, ' _Do it.'_

* * *

 **Well there you go! Yugi's pissed and these nameless men are in for one heck of a surprise. How will everything turn out? Will Bakura have to clear everyone's memories? The answers and more coming...eventually! Seriously, I'll try to update this quicker.**

 **Please review!**


	13. Yami's Yami no Game

**Happy Sunday evening all! I know it's been a month, but here we are with chapter 13! We finally get to see what kind of Game Yami has in store for the people who _dared_ to attack and threaten their friends. Hopefully it reads well, I've tried to work out most of the kinks over the past couple of weeks.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

No sooner had Yugi said the words than the entire room was covered in the Shadows. The three men looked uncomfortable in their new surroundings, while Kaiba looked at his rival with slight concern. Yugi quickly separated from Yami and moved to the side, clearing the field for Yami's Game. His mind retreated from Yami's, to allow him full focus on the Game he was about to play.

"Kaiba," Yami growled, "Go stand with Yugi. I will take care of these _criminals_."

"If you think I'm going to leave my brother's fate entirely in your hands, then you are sorely mis-"

" _Do it!"_ Yami barked in Egyptian. He was not in the mood for Kaiba's pride. Kaiba stood shocked for a moment before following the order, though not without a glance that told Yami not to screw up. Once he was out of the way, the Shadows moved them to a higher elevation so they could watch the Game from above.

Finally Yugi seemed to be noticed by the men. "There-there are _two_ of them!" one of the men - _Stevens_ , the Shadows provided - stuttered. It felt strange to Yami to suddenly know the information, but he shrugged it off. All that matter right now was that they pay for hurting his friends and trying to shift the blame to him and his hikari.

The other henchman, Persky, was just as frightened, but he seemed to think clearer under pressure, even if the decisions were poor, and fired his gun at Yugi, unsure of what else to do. The bullet was caught by the Shadows before it reached him, however, and Yugi didn't even flinch. Instead, the hikari just regarded the man coolly. The expression looked unnatural on his face to Yami; hopefully everything would be rectified in the next few minutes.

"Try something like that again, and you might end up bargaining much more than you are willing," Yami called over, tension rolling off with every word. The Shadows danced around him, approving his actions and ready to create the Game Yami had formulated.

A tall obelisk rose from out of the Shadows covered in carved hieroglyphics. At first glance it seemed like the ones found in Egypt, but upon further inspection, this one was far more deadly. Besides the numerous hand and foot holds that littered the sides, there also seemed to be booby traps set over the entire thing.

"What kind of crazy gas did Kaiba dump into that room?" the Persky asked, staring at the tower with wide eyes.

"Is that what I sound like?" Kaiba quietly asked rhetorically, irony not passing him by, "I sound ridiculous."

"You did," Yugi answered him, eyes fixed on Yami.

"You will soon find that this is more than any _hallucination_ ," Yami said, ignoring the two of them, "This tower the center point of our Game."

"Game?" the boss asked warily.

"You requested the 'King of Games', did you not?" Yami cocked an eyebrow at him, "Did you expect a friendly debate?" The man scowled and Yami took that as permission to continue. "This obelisk represents our hopes, fears, and aspirations," he explained, "The goal of the Game is simple: be the first to climb to the top. The climb is not as easy as it looks though. Every dark ambition that passes through your mind, every selfish thought, and you will find that the climb becomes... _difficult_."

"Difficult?" Stevens asked an octave higher than usual.

"You'll soon find out," Yami assured, "The odds are in your favor, however. If you or any of your men make it to the top before I do, then you win and you will get what you were after. But be warned, if you choose to cheat, you will lose. If you manage to win, both Kaiba and I will comply with your... _request_."

"He can't be serious," Kaiba muttered.

"When have you known him to lose a game?" Yugi countered. Kaiba didn't bother to respond. They both knew Yami had lost only two games since they knew him and each one had extenuating circumstances.

The boss eyed the tower thoughtfully, not hearing Kaiba and Yugi's exchange. Those were certainly good odds. "On the off chance we lose," he asked, "What do you get?"

A dark chuckle rolled through the Shadows without an origin. "If I win," Yami's expression grew dark, "Your soul will be cast to the Shadows for the transgressions you have brought against me, my hikari, and my friends. You will stay there until the last shred of evil in your soul is vanquished."

"Isn't that what you told the other lunatics off for during Battle City?" Kaiba muttered to Yugi.

"Circumstances changed," Yugi muttered back, eyes fixed below.

"Everybody will start on a different side of the obelisk," Yami continued his instructions to the men, "During this Game, you will only be allowed to use your hand and feet to climb the tower. No weapons are allowed. If you fall off and hit the bottom, you lose."

"Fine," the boss agreed, ignoring the protests of the men behind him and moved to claim his side of the obelisk, "Just say when."

A giant "3" appeared on each side of the obelisk. "When we are all in position, the numbers will countdown. When they reach zero is when the Game starts."

All eyes were on the obelisk now as it counted down…

3...2...1...

* * *

"Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?" Tristen asked from where he sat.

"That's what happens when there's a lack of air," Tea said quietly.

Joey still sat near the door, trying to get a clue of what was happening outside, but he still couldn't hear anything. He wondered if they had been forced outside of the room. Surely nothing bad had happened to them, right?

His ribs were really starting to ache as the last bits of adrenaline wore off. Or maybe it was the fact that breathing seemed harder than it should have been. A little voice in the back of his head told him that his ribs were probably at least fractured, but his brain seemed to be working slower than usual and he couldn't figure out why that was important.

Suddenly somebody bumped into him and did not move. Looking down, he saw Mokuba had fallen asleep and slumped over. Joey quickly shook him awake.

"Don't fall asleep," Joey whispered. Even as he said it, he found himself fighting to keep his own eyes open. "I'm sure your brother and Yugi will get us out of here any minute now."

"I can't help it," Mokuba muttered.

"Try," Joey urged, "You want to see him when he busts through that door, right? If you're asleep, you might just give him a heart attack."

Mokuba said nothing, but nodded slowly, trying to fight sleep. Joey caught Tristen's eye who gave him stern, silent warning to stop talking. Talking used oxygen, and he had probably used more than he should have with those statements.

Silence reigned once again, only filled with the quiet sound of the generator: a constant reminder that their time was limited. There was still no noise from outside, and was that smoke somehow leaking in? That didn't make any sense. Mokuba assured them the room as airtight, so was it just his eyes playing tricks on him? It looked somewhat familiar to Joey, but no matter how hard he tried, he could place it for the life of him.

Tea was the first to finally lose the fight with consciousness, followed shortly by Tristen and Mokuba. Joey wanted to rouse them, but his arms felt like lead. He knew he would not be long in following; time was running out quickly. Yugi would needed to open that door soon or else they would all be goners.

Only one thought ran through his mind on loop as darkness creeped in: _Hurry...Yugi..._

* * *

Yami watched as Persky fell past him. In only a few seconds he hit the ground and was swallowed by the Shadows less than a moment later. He shook the screams from the man and the satisfaction from the Shadows from his mind. It was down to him and the boss, and right now they were tied.

"Useless," the boss muttered before continuing his climb, uninhibited for the most part.

Yami grit his teeth, disgusted at the man's behavior but also continued his ascent; his time would come soon, he hoped. He had thought the Game to be relatively simple, but he had encountered trap after trap, making the Game last much longer than he had anticipated. What was going on? And how had the boss lasted longer than his associates?

He reached up, intent on grabbing a hand hold just to his right, but just as his fingers curled around it, flames shot out, nearly burning his skin. He pulled his hand back quickly, but the motion sent him off balance, causing him to swing precariously for a moment.

"Yami!" Yugi's worried voice cried from above.

Yami's eyes widened. How had he'd forgotten that Yugi was watching?! His eyes drifted up to where his hikari was watching wide eyed next to Kaiba who was doing his best to not mirror Yugi's expression, and then to the vault door that had been swallowed by the Shadows: the ultimate prize and the reason for this Game. Had he really allowed himself to get so wrapped up in the Game and fixate on punishing all of the men, that he had lost focus of his purpose? That his friends' lives were at stake?

Taking a deep breath to center himself again and set his mind back on the right track, he swung back up. This time when he reached for the handhold, it held fast with no trap. Yami smiled. With his purpose set he made two more moves rapidly without consequence.

Before long, he had caught up to the boss and began to pass him. Now so focused on saving his friends, he failed to notice the malicious, calculating look on the other man's face. He was almost to the top when he heard a click from below him.

"If you think I'm going to go down without a fight, you have another thing coming!" The boss had pulled out his gun and aimed it squarely at Yami. "You can't win when you're dead!"

The man fired and the bullet clipped Yami's upper arm. The shock of impact made him lose his grip and start falling, but the Game was over; the other player had broken the rules. Adrenaline blocked most of the pain he would otherwise be no doubt feeling, allowing Yami to compose himself and look back up at the nameless boss, third eye glowing ominously on his forehead.

"Penalty Game!"

The Shadows swarmed the boss and the obelisk dissolved. Yami was caught by the Shadows before he could hit the ground and gently set him on his feet. His hand went to his arm and came away with blood. He thought back to the other Games he had played. Why had the Shadows allowed him to be hit? This wasn't his first Yami no Game that involved a gun. The Game should have ended just as the trigger was pulled. The bullet should not have made it to him. Even if it had, it was damage done during the Game and should have been reversed, so why wasn't it?

"Yami!" Yugi hurried over. The fear and worry his hikari felt flowed freely across the bond now. He stopped just short of running into Yami, gazing up at him with wide eyes. Yami grit his teeth. He had been using Yugi's body when the Game started and the one Yugi was in right now was a construct of Shadows.

"Sorry," Yami apologized, "You may have to deal with this when we leave here."

Yugi shook his head, "I'll deal with it later. We need to save our friends!"

"Get rid of these Shadows, Yami," Kaiba growled, "My brother is still in there."

Yami nodded, dispelling the Shadows quickly. The minute the Shadows cleared, Kaiba ran to the control panel, punching in the override code. The heavy door hissed as it unlocked. Yugi and Yami worked together to pull it open quickly as air rushed past them to meet the oxygen deficient room. Nobody was awake, and Yami prayed that that was _all_ that was wrong. Surely the Game hadn't taken long enough for anybody to have actually…

' _Don't,'_ Yugi begged quietly, taking in the sight. Their friends were seated on the floor, leaning against the walls of the vault. Yami was the first one to walk in, kneeling in front of Joey. He gave a sigh of relief when he noticed his chest slowly moving up and down. Looking around, he noticed the same with the others.

"They're okay," he breathed.

"Come on," Kaiba muttered, brushing past him, "We'll take them to the next room over. There's chairs and couches."

Yugi followed Kaiba in and for a moment, fear jolted through him: what if _they_ got locked in too? It cleared in a moment when he remembered that they could Shadow Travel through the vault door if needed, but it didn't stop Yami from sending a wave of reassurance towards his hikari.

Kaiba quickly scooped up his brother and carried him briskly out without a word. Yami moved to Tea, "I can carry her," he said to Yugi, "I'll come back and help you with Joey and Tristen."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked, glancing at Yami's arm.

"I'm alright," Yami assured.

Yugi frowned, not believe it, but nodded anyway. "If you're sure," he said, "I can at least drag them out of here."

Yami picked up Tea and followed the path Kaiba took out of the room. As Kaiba had promised, there were several couches to choose from. Kaiba was already on the phone with somebody, but Yami didn't pay too much carefully laid his friend on one of the couches, accepting the silent offer of a blanket from Kaiba.

Shooting the CEO a glance and deciding that he wasn't going to be available to help any time soon, Yami left to help his hikari carry their heavier friends. Yugi had managed to get Joey and Tristen fully out of the vault and had laid them out next to each other. He looked up as Yami entered, eyes flicking to the door to see if anyone else came in with him.

"Kaiba's on the phone with someone," Yami answered the unspoken question, "I think the two of us can handle them if we carry them one at a time."

"Shouldn't Bakura be around here somewhere?" Yugi looked around.

"He was only going to stick around to see if he needed to modify anybody's memory," Yami answered, "He's probably already left."

Yugi let out a heavy sigh. "So we're on our own," he concluded, "Do you want the feet or the head?"

* * *

Joey knew before he opened his eyes that he wasn't where he passed out. The soft cushions on his back let him know that much, nevermind the fact that he could breathe much better than he could before, despite how painful it was; the air was lighter and cooler. The last thought he remembered was hoping Yugi and Kaiba would get them out before it was too late.

That seemed to be the case, but how? Surely they hadn't given in to the outrageous demands those thugs were making?

"Mr. Mutou, please stop pulling away from me!"

"Don't make me sit on you, Yug'," Tristen's voice threatened.

Joey shifted, trying to picture the scene. He didn't recognize the first voice, but from Tristen's comment, they must be friend and not foe. What were they talking about?

"Joey?" Tea's voice broke through his thoughts, "Are you awake?"

"Probably," Tristen's voice answered for him, "He's just being lazy."

"Shut up," Joey told him, finally opening his eyes.

"You're awake," the Pharaoh's voice floated over, sounding very relieved. It was about the happiest he'd ever heard him with maybe one or two exceptions.

Joey sat up gingerly, his ribs protesting the action, and looked around. It seemed he was the last one to wake up. They were definitely not in the room with the vault, but were somehow back in the hospitality room. Tea and Tristen were up and about and Mokuba was sitting next to his brother on the other side of the room.

He let out a relieved breath. Everyone was all right.

Then he noticed Yami perched on a table with somebody hovering over his arm. Though the Pharaoh was clearly relieved, he looked like hell. He was missing his jacket, his face was pale, and it looked like there was blood smeared on the parts of his arm that Joey could see. The mystery man must be a doctor.

Yami noticed the scrutiny and the scowl and smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine," he said.

"What happened?" Joey demanded.

"We beat them," Yami answered evasively, "Kaiba opened the door."

"I figured that much. I meant to you. You look like hell."

"You're one to talk," Tristen replied for Yami, "Have you seen your face?"

Joey looked around for a mirror. There wasn't one, but he caught his reflection in the glass door. There was no blood on it like he expected, but it his nose looked swollen and felt a bit tender, not to mention he had some ugly bruises.

"I've had worse," Joey brushed it off, "Answer the question so I know who it is I have to have words with about hurting my friend."

"Speaking of words," Kaiba interjected, "You need to learn to watch your language around my brother."

Joey turned to glare at him, "What? You would have preferred if I asked them nicely to let us go? I'm sure that would have worked great. Besides, Tristen said worse stuff than I did."

"Don't go blaming me for your mouth," Tristen denied.

Joey glared at him. There was no way he was taking all the blame for this. "Oi!" he protested, "I oughta -" he tried to stand up to knock some responsibility into Tristen, but he found his ribs protested that action a lot more than just sitting up. "Ow," moaned, falling back onto the couch.

"Joey!" the Pharaoh cried, concerned.

Joey looked over to see Yami trying to get off the table, likely to come check on him, but was restrained by the doctor holding his arm. He shot him a reassuring smile. It had just surprised him is all.

"Sit still," the doctor ordered.

"It's not like he taught me anything new," Mokuba rolled his eyes, distracting Joey and Tristen's feud, "I've heard worse from you, Seto."

"Rich Boy cursing?" Joey asked amused, "I would pay money to hear that."

"Like you have money," Kaiba scoffed.

"Guys, you're getting off track," Tea said, and turned to the Pharaoh, "You still haven't told us what happened."

"They took a shot and they missed," Kaiba answered for Yami, "It gave us the opportunity to overpower them."

"Missed?!" Tea exclaimed, "That doesn't look like a "miss" to me!"

The doctor shifted slightly to and allowed Joey a better look at his friend's arm. There was a large gash across it; deep enough to need stitches and probably prevent him from using the arm for at least a couple of days. Joey's scowl deepened, recognizing the damage as from a bullet. Kaiba's comment was more literal than he realized.

Yami did not see his expression and tried to pass it off, "Considering they were trying to kill me, I would say that they missed."

"Kill you?!" Tea gasped.

"They weren't exactly honorable men," Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"How did you guys manage to beat them off?" Tristen asked, "No offense, but you guys were outnumbered and they had guns."

"We hadn't noticed," Kaiba rolled his eyes, "If you think I only have a few security guards then you're dumber than you look. We managed to get them out of the room and my men were able to bring them down and capture them."

"That sounds like one hell of a fight," Tristen said, "Wish I could have helped you guys."

Yami winced, but Joey couldn't tell if it was from Tristen's statement or from the doctor probing his wound looking for any shrapnel.

"If you would allow me to take you to the hospital, this would be a lot easier on the two of us," the doctor scolded. Apparently he had brought this up before.

"I told you-"

"That you weren't going anywhere until your friends woke up," the doctor finished, "They are all awake now."

Joey rolled his eyes. That did sound like something the Pharaoh would say, and Yugi probably backed him up on that decision.

"I said I would not go anywhere until they were awake and well," Yami corrected with a glare, his red eyes looking harsher than usual.

Wait... since when were the Pharaoh's eyes red? Didn't he and Yugi have the same color? Joey shook his head. The light must be playing a trick on him. He looked again and the Pharaoh's eyes were back to their usual violet. Definitely a trick of the light then.

"Their wellness has yet to be determined by you since you seem to be fixated on me," Yami continued, "I will stay where I am."

"Yugi," Joey tried, "You don't need to play hero right now. We're all fine-"

"No, you aren't," Yami interrupted, "I helped carry you in here and I know you are worse off than Tristen and Tea."

There was no denying that at least since he had taken the brunt of the assault, but he had worse injuries in his life before he met Yugi. Joey would have tried to hold Yugi's health over the Pharaoh's head to get him to cooperate, but he didn't need the doctor thinking he had brain damage. Then again, Yugi never seemed to care about his own health and safety when it came to his friends.

"Be that as it may," the doctor said, "You are in worse shape. Now hold still, we need to stitch this up."

"Stop being a coward, Yugi," Kaiba scolded from across the room, "The sooner you get patched up, the sooner the doctor can check the mutt and you all can leave."

"Oi!" Joey protested.

Kaiba's words seemed to do the trick however. The Pharaoh turned to glare at him and the doctor used the distraction to get to work quickly. Though he flinched the moment he was stuck with the needle, Yami didn't pull away.

The wound was stitched quickly, leaving just a thin line in its wake. "You should use a sling for the next couple of days at least," the doctor said as he cut the last thread, "The last thing you need is to overexert your arm and end up pulling out the stitches. The muscle needs to recover anyway and the best way to do that is to rest it."

"That means no duels," Tristen added, "You can't wear a Duel Disk and wear a sling at the same time."

"I'm sure I can find other ways to occupy my time," Yami replied, carefully sliding down, "Besides, Duel Monsters can be played on the table."

Joey wasn't sure if by 'I' the Pharaoh meant himself, Yugi, or both of them. He'd have to ask later when the doctor left. Speaking of the doctor…

"Alright, Mr. Wheeler, welcome to my apparent chamber of torture. Let's see if you can behave better than your friend."

* * *

 **And there we go. I tried to do as much research as I could for this chapter, but there was only so much I could find.**

 **Eventually we will get to the point where the Shadow Mages leave. When I started this story, I honestly thought we'd be there by now, but I'm enjoying where this is right now, hopefully you guys are too.**

 **Let me know what you thought! Please review :)**


	14. Beginning the Road to Recovery

**Welcome back! I don't know about you guys, but it's felt like forever to me. Anyway, here we are with chapter 14!**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Kaiba had a driver take everyone home to avoid anybody who might be outside asking questions. At least that was his claim, but Yugi saw the concerned glance he sent his way when he thought no one was looking. Yami had finally let Yugi take back control once they were safely inside the car and moving. The adrenaline had finally worn off and now the Pharaoh was now asleep in his Soul Room. Yugi wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't until late tomorrow that he woke up; their friends almost dying, a Yami no Game, being shot and then blocking all of the pain from Yugi, really took a lot out of him.

Tristen was the first one to be dropped off. As he exited the car, he turned back to Yugi, pinning him with a serious look. "Don't overdo it, Yug'," he warned, "I'll drag you to the hospital if I have to."

Yugi gave a nervous laugh. "Don't worry, I won't," he assured, "You need to take care yourself."

Everybody had bandages on their wrists from where the ropes bit in a bit too deeply and more than their fair share of bruises. Joey was the worst off, but all of them had to be seen to by the doctor.

Tristen ignored Yugi's last statement. "I'll stop by tomorrow to make sure you're not overdoing it," he promised and then left.

Yugi sighed as they pulled away. His friends needed to take care of themselves before they worried about him.

"Tristen's not alone in that threat," Tea said, eyeing his arm, "I'll help him if I have to."

"You guys act like I can't take care of myself," Yugi pouted.

"We just worry is all," Tea said, "You seem to attract the most trouble out of all of us."

Yugi frowned. He couldn't deny that, but because of it, his friends sometimes suffered as well. Just like they did today.

"You guys catch the worst of it…"

"It wouldn't be fair to you if you had to take the brunt force of everything," Joey said.

"It's not fair that you guys have to suffer because people are after me," Yugi countered.

"We're in this together, Yug'," Joey reminded him.

Yugi opted for staring out the window instead of replying. In every other situation, his friends knew exactly what they were getting into, and he was grateful that they stood alongside him. Now though, the dangers were unknown and he couldn't even tell them _why_ he was being targeted.

A few minutes later the car pulled up in front of Tea's apartment. "I'll come by tomorrow to check on you," Tea echoed Tristen's farewell.

"Sure," Yugi gave up, "We'll have a nice quiet day then."

"Don't jinx it," Joey warned.

"The universe owes us _one_ day after what happened today," Yugi replied.

"Let's hope so," Tea said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

The car started moving again, this time towards Joey's home. As they rode, Yugi noticed Joey shifting uncomfortably, several times opening his mouth to say something before closing it again. A couple of times he accidentally jarred his ribs, given away by his winces.

"Do you need to stay with us?" Yugi finally asked. Joey's ribs were barely fractured, but any more strain on them could cause them to actually break. He didn't need to be in his own home now with his father's temper, but it was obvious he was worried about being a burden to his grandpa.

"...yeah," Joey admitted with a sigh.

Yugi smiled at him understandingly and turned to the driver, "Joey's coming with me to Kame Game Shop."

The driver nodded and changed their route away from . The two sat together in comfortable silence as they sped along. Yugi reached up to rub his arm. The numbing the doctor had used was starting to wear off and his arm was starting to hurt a bit.

"You okay, Yug'?" Joey asked, catching the movement.

"I'm fine," Yugi assured, "The numbing agent is starting to wear off is all. The doctor said normal painkillers should be fine, so I'll look for those when we get home."

As if reacting to his words, Yugi felt the Shadows squirm eagerly around him, telling him they wanted to help. He pushed them away before they did anything that would catch Joey's attention. It was a little strange though, they did not seem so eager to help Yami after the Game… Something to look into later then.

"You really shouldn't touch it," Joey advised, "You'll pull the stitches. The doctor fought so hard to actually get them in too. I'd hate for him to have to redo them."

Yugi lowered his hand and rolled his eyes at his best friend. It was Yami who was being uncooperative, not him. Though to be fair, Yami _was_ more worried about their friends and himself.

"Who knew the Pharaoh didn't cooperate with doctors?" Joey continued, slightly joking.

"I told him he either needed to sit still or let me take over," Yugi sighed, "He didn't like either of those options."

"He wouldn't let you take back control?"

Yugi heard the worry in Joey's voice and frowned. He understood where Joey was coming from, especially after everything they had experienced, but surely Joey knew Yami well enough by now to know that he wouldn't _intentionally_ hurt him or anything.

"It's not like that, Joey. He didn't want me to suffer for what he calls 'a foolish mistake,'" Yugi airquoted with his good arm.

"Mistake?"

"He lost his focus," Yugi explained, "This is the price he paid."

It wasn't a lie. Yami really did lose his focus during the Game and almost lost more than the Game because of it. Yugi had a feeling that once Yami woke up, he'd have to keep him from dwelling on it.

"He got lucky," Joey remarked, "That could have done some serious damage."

"I know," Yugi said, "I think we were all lucky today."

The two of them fell silent after that. The pain in Yugi's arm continued to grow and the Shadows grew more restless, but fortunately they were not far from the Game Shop. By the time they got there, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, making Yugi realize just how long a day they had. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to follow Yami's lead and go lay down and go to sleep.

His grandpa was anxiously watching a news report when they walked in. Yugi instantly recognized the Kaiba Corp building and groaned internally. How much of today's events had gotten out already? Or was this Kaiba's attempt to cover up what _really_ happened? If the footage they were showing was live, then Yugi was glad Kaiba had given them a ride home; reporters and journalists were swarming the pavement outside of Kaiba Corp.

"Yugi!" Solomon cried when he noticed him, relief clear in his voice. His expression turned worried, however, when he saw his grandson's arm. "Are you alright? What happened? The news was saying that you were at Kaiba Corp when some kind of terrorists attacked."

"I'm fine," Yugi assured, "We're all fine. Some guys tried to kidnap my friends and Mokuba to get me and Kaiba to do some work for them. They didn't like when we declined."

"They said a whole floor had to be evacuated and that they had hostages," Solomon said, "And what happened to your arm?"

"He got shot," Joey answered. Yugi winced at the bluntness of Joey's statement.

Solomon's eyes went wide with shock and Yugi seriously worried that his grandpa would have a heart attack then and there. "Shot?" he whispered, horrified.

"Grandpa, sit down before you fall over," Yugi advised worriedly, "I'm fine. They missed, the bullet grazed my arm. Kaiba called a doctor and he stitched it up. I just have to wear this"- he gestured to the sling - "for a couple days so I don't pull the stitches out."

"You're too much for this old heart of mine, Yugi," Solomon said and turned to Joey, "What about you, Joey? You look like you've had a rough time."

"Don't worry about me, Gramps," Joey smiled, though its effect was muted by the bruise he was sporting across his nose, "I might have touched a nerve or two while they were trying to capture us."

"He's got some fractured ribs," Yugi said, ignoring Joey's glare, "He's not allowed to do any heavy lifting or make sudden movements."

'Which means he's better off here," Solomon concluded and shook his head, "You boys will be the death of me. Well, let's get some food in you and send you off to bed. Go sit at the table and I'll find something for you."

"I can help, Grandpa," Yugi tried to offer.

"No you don't," his grandpa said firmly, "You've had a long day. Sit down and relax."

Yugi couldn't deny that that sounded really good right about now, almost as good as actually going to sleep, and surrendered without the fight he usually would have put up. Joey gingerly sat down across from him, pulling an apologetic grimace as Solomon began the hunt for food.

"You can take the bed tonight," Yugi offered, "I'll sleep on the futon."

"I think you need a real bed more than I do," Joey replied, stilling eyeing his arm. "I can make do."

"I can get up and down easier than you," Yugi countered. With Joey's ribs, picking himself up off the floor from a lumpy futon could make them worse. "Just take it for once."

"Yugi's right, Joey," Solomon said as he rummaged through the cabinets for something light, "That futon is no good for broken ribs."

"Are you sure, Yug'?"

"Positive," Yugi nodded firmly, "I'll survive on the floor."

"Thanks, man."

Yugi started absentmindedly rubbing his arm again. The Shadows squirmed in the corner restlessly, somehow conveying their apologies that _he_ was hurt and still wanting to help. This was the most active and the most _sentient_ Yugi had ever felt them be, and it was a little strange. While they had waited anxiously for the doctor to arrive and their friends to wake up, Yami had told him that during the Game the Shadows had told him the names of the hentchmen. Deciding to try something, he reached out with his mind like he would if he was going to talk to Yami, only towards the Shadows.

 _What do you want?_ he asked silently.

The response was more immediate than he expected. _We want to help_ , they whispered.

Yugi had to fight not to show his surprise at the clear response. He shot a glance at Joey and his grandpa, neither of them seemed to notice anything strange.

 _Why?_ he challenged, _You didn't seem to want to help Yami._

 _The Pharaoh needs a reminder of his failure._

 _But he did not fail! He might have lost focus for a bit, but he got it back!_

 _Because of_ you _. The scar will remain on his constructed body to serve as a reminder._

 _I doubt he'll forget,_ Yugi said, _He almost cost our friends their lives, isn't that enough?_

 _He needs to remember us and his purpose if he is to take his place as Pharaoh over us._

 _So why help me? Yami lives in my body._

 _It is not fair for you to suffer for the errors of another._

"Yugi? You awake?" Joey's voice broke through his quiet conversation.

Oh. When had he shut his eyes? "I'm awake, Joey," he replied, blinking up at him.

"Talking to the Pharaoh?" Joey asked, "Is he doing alright?"

"He's been asleep since he let me back in control," Yugi admitted, "It's been a long day." He glad for the excuse. He wasn't about to say that he was just talking with the Shadows; the very idea seemed absurd in his own mind, and he had just been doing it!

"You're arm hurting?" Joey asked, nodding to where Yugi was still rubbing his arm.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Yugi said, lowering his hand, "It's not too bad. I'll take something before I go to sleep."

"Eat first," his grandpa said, setting down a light meal in front of him and Joey, "I'll go drag out the futon and set it up in your room."

"Thanks, Grandpa," Yugi smiled at him, "Let me know if you need help. I still have one good arm, I'm not completely useless yet."

"Just eat, Yugi."

* * *

Yugi stayed quiet throughout dinner. With his thoughts finally settling down, the weight of Yami's actions were finally starting to sink into his mind. Even though it was Yami who played the Game and subsequently took the souls, Yugi felt responsible for what had happened. Afterall, Yami would not have taken that action if Yugi did not tell him too. He had basically sentenced those men to their own hells and sent Yami in to do his dirty work.

But that's not what was upsetting. What was upsetting was how guilty he _didn't_ feel. Every time he looked back on the events of the day, he thought he should feel horrible; like a hypocrite for encouraging the same activity that they had condemned so many others for. It was the exact opposite. He felt... _satisfied_ with the outcome of Yami's Game; the Shadows also seemed pleased, but that was less of a surprise.

It was confusing. His thoughts told him he should be feeling one way while his actual feelings disagreed.

"You doing okay, Yugi?" Joey asked as they lay down to sleep.

"Yeah," came the quiet reply, "Just thinking about what happened today."

Joey propped himself up on an elbow to look down to Yugi on the futon, wincing as the position pulled at his ribs. "Whatever the Pharaoh and Kaiba did, it wasn't your fault. It's not even _their_ fault."

"I know."

"...Do you wanna talk about it?"

"It's just...I feel like I should feel worse about what happened to the men than I do," Yugi admitted evasively, "But at the same time, they were threatening to kill you guys."

"You're back was to the wall, Yug," Joey said, "You did what you had to do in order to get us out of there. Any of us would have probably done the same if our situations were reversed. They were clearly bad guys, willing to kill us without second thought. If you ask me, they probably deserve worse than whatever they got."

Yugi frowned at that. He didn't know what kind of penalty Yami gave them, but knowing his dark half's overprotective nature and what they had done, he was sure they were suffering plenty wherever they ended up.

Joey rolled back over onto his back. "Whenever you wanna talk about it, I'll listen. I don't blame you for anything that happened, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you."

"Thanks, Joey."

* * *

 **And there we go; kind of a filler chapter today. School is almost out for the summer, so my plan is to actually get a chance to sit down and write. I do almost have two more chapters ready to go, so the first of those should be coming out in a couple of weeks. I want to try to get back on that schedule and summer should allow me to do that.**

 **Let me know what you think! Please review!**


	15. Flashbacks

**Welcome back! It's only been two weeks! I know, crazy. How does it feel to be on summer vacation? I think it feels fantastic!**

 **Anyway, like the title suggests, there will be a lot of flashbacks in this chapter. Really, this is my lazy way of covering a lot of plot points very quickly. Hope things don't seem rushed.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The next few weeks passed without another incident that Yugi's friends were aware of. His wound had closed relatively quickly and without scarring thanks to the Shadows. The area was still a little tender, but other than that his arm was completely healed. Yami had been impressed at Yugi's conversation with the Shadows and annoyed that his constructed form did in fact bear the scar. It had been tender for a while and Bakura seemed obsessed with it, but both faded after a couple weeks.

The Shadows seemed happy with their activities and they became easier to use as time passed. It was almost becoming a second nature to all of the Bearers, even Kaiba, who was surprisingly adept at using them considering his resistance at the beginning.

School had recently started back up, and somehow Yugi was managing to balance all of his responsibilities in a way that didn't draw suspicion from his friends or his grandpa. Mostly because Yami was able to go out and respond when the Shadows tugged at them while he stayed behind and took care of his own work. Yugi only went out on weekends under the supervision of Yami.

Yami had been teaching him about Yami no Games and appropriate penalties. Yugi, while he had come to terms with Yami taking souls, was still uncomfortable with doing the act himself, so his penalties tended to work with the person still being able to function even though he knew one day he might not have that option. He was actually very good at creating Games, though Yami wasn't too surprised. Yugi _had_ grown up in a game shop.

The first of those Games happened to be the dance director in America that Tea had told them about. After just a little research and some help from Malik, it became apparent that this woman cared only for the money her students could bring in and she could squeeze out of them. It did not matter about the talent, she wanted students who did not need scholarship money from the school. While she was certainly not unique in this mindset, the fact that Tea was a close friend of Yugi's and was clearly being wronged by this woman was enough for the Shadows to prompt them into action.

Yugi hadn't even hesitated and left the director with a mark on her face that let everyone she met know exactly where her heart was. As she changed her ways, the mark would fade and eventually disappear. Yami had been impressed and a little terrified at what his hikari was capable of, but had to admit it was a fitting punishment.

Since the incident at Kaiba Corp, all of the Bearers met once a week to train together and prepare for the day they needed to leave to protect the ones they cared about. They made frequent trips to Egypt to visit the Ishtars and make use of the training rooms Ishizu and Malik had built into their potential future home. Ishizu hadn't lied about the "sanctuary" she and Malik had created, though if you asked Yami, it was more of a labyrinthian fortress.

Well hidden underground, the spaces were actually large and cozy, making it easy to forget where they were except for the fact there were no windows, making the only light come from candles and torches. Ishizu explained that as time passed and their power grew with the Shadows, they could expand the hallways and corridors to fit whatever needs they felt was necessary. As it was currently, it was still rather large, with several entrances providing potential escape routes in worst-case scenarios.

There were enough bedrooms for all of them with surprisingly comfortable mattresses. There was also a large living room that opened into a full kitchen and dining area. Next to the kitchen was a slightly smaller room filled with monitors, which Kaiba had quickly claimed as his security room. From the small smirk on Ishizu's face, Yami figured she must have intentionally planned for that. Deep in the tunnels were the reinforced training rooms so that they could practice without worrying about their surroundings.

There was even a throne room and antichamber at the center of everything. Yami had initially felt distinctly uncomfortable at the thought of actually having to sit in the golden throne that sat in there. Yugi had thought it to be impressive, but he understood his yami's hesitance about it.

* * *

 _(Flashback)_

" _When am I ever going to actually need to sit on a throne?" Yami demanded, "The whole reason we are even considering coming here is that we are supposed to be_ in hiding _. Don't you think it would be counterproductive if we start holding court or giving audiences?"_

" _You're still pharaoh," Ishizu insisted, "Every pharaoh deserves a throne."_

" _It's unnecessary."_

" _Look, we'll probably have to deal with things from the Shadows or from the Monster Realm," Malik said, "We should have a place to do that."_

" _And it has to be..._ this _?" Yami gestured to the gold covered room._

" _It_ is _rather impressive, Yami,"_ _Yugi said, "If anything it sets a tone."_

" _The Necklace has hinted at this room being used numerous times, Pharaoh," Ishizu explained, "It won't give me any details, but it tells me enough to know that we will need it."_

 _Yami turned to look back at the throne with resignation. There was no arguing with somebody who could see the future. Bakura, Ryou, and Kaiba arrived before he could make any decisions. Ryou marveled at the room, Kaiba was trying to look unimpressed, and Bakura just eyed it thoughtfully._

" _Not bad, Ishizu," Bakura complimented, "Not quite as grand as I recall, but not bad."_

" _An exact duplicate would be a bit_ much _, don't you think?" Ishizu countered._

"This _is 'a bit much'!" Yami argued, but went largely ignored._

' _I'm supposed to be Pharaoh and they ignore me!' he griped to Yugi._

' _Would you really want them any other way?' Yugi asked._

 _Yami eyed the group of people in front of him, who seemingly forgot that he and Yugi existed for the time being. 'Probably not,' he admitted with a secret smile to Yugi._

" _You had this much gold just lying around?" Kaiba scoffed._

" _Of course not," Malik scoffed, "We got it from the Pharaoh's tomb."_

" _What?!" Yugi and Yami exclaimed together, bringing the attention back to them. They had both known that Yami_ had _a tomb somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, that's where Yugi's grandpa had found the Puzzle, but it was a bit strange to hear that somebody else had taken anything from the tomb._

" _Well you're not dead and it's serving a better purpose for you here than it would be gathering dust there," Malik explained._

" _How did you even manage it?" Yugi asked, "Grandpa told me that place is filled with booby traps. Yami's the only reason he made it out of there alive and with the Puzzle."_

" _I am?"_

" _That's what he says."_

" _The Shadows were quite understanding when we told them we needed it for the Pharaoh," Ishizu answered Yugi's question._

 _With Yugi now enthralled in the conversation, Yami tuned them out and went back to staring at the throne. Was it him, or did it seem to be beckoning him? Yes, he was a Pharaoh and that the people who currently surrounded him were supposed to be his court, but he didn't want to end up thinking_ less _of any of them. He had seen what power did to people, he had experienced it himself and didn't want to walk that path again. Could it be that he was simply_ afraid _to sit on the throne?_

" _So, has the Pharaoh sat on his fancy chair yet?" Bakura broke him from his thoughts, tone only slightly mocking._

 _Yami glared at him. He had a feeling that that was going to be a common occurrence during all of this. "No," he said simply._

" _Might as well test it out and see if it's the right height," Kaiba said moving away from the group and eyeing the object, "Can't say I'm jealous of you, it doesn't look comfortable at all."_

 _Yami still didn't move. Things would change the minute he sat down, he knew it, but he didn't know_ how _._

" _If you're not going to, then I will," Bakura stated, marching forward with purpose._

" _I wouldn't if I were you," Ishizu warned, but Bakura ignored her._

 _Bakura reached the throne and was about to sit down when the Shadows started crackling. Before any of them could react, Bakura was thrown across the room, landing in a heap on the ground._

" _Bakura!" Ryou yelled, running over to him._

 _The thief sat up slowly as Ryou reached him. "Owww. What was that about?"_

" _I tried to warn you," Ishizu said, "The Shadows won't allow anyone but the Pharaoh to sit there."_

" _You couldn't have tried harder?" Bakura groaned, letting Ryou fuss over him for a moment._

" _And missed seeing that?"_

" _It's not like you didn't see it already," Bakura snapped at the seer._

" _I don't see everything,"_ _Ishizu responded icily._

" _But you clearly knew what was going to happen!"_

" _Only because Malik tried the same thing yesterday!"_

" _Oi! Ishtar!" Bakura yelled at Malik as he got to his feet, "What the hell?!"_

 _Yugi went over to help Ryou who was trying to calm things down before they had a full fledged battle here. This place didn't have the same protections placed on it that the training rooms did. While Yugi tried his best to intervene, Yami turned his attention back to the throne, still beckoning him forward._

 _His legs seemed to move of their own accord and before he knew it, he was standing right in front of it. Kaiba was the only one to notice and watched carefully. The Shadows danced eagerly around Yami, encouraging him to take his seat. Yami took a deep breath and in one fluid movement, turned and sat._

 _The moment he did, a pulse emanated from the Shadows from where he sat. The fighting stopped and everyone turned to look at Yami. His uncertainty faded the moment he took his place and was replaced with confidence; this felt right. Yugi stepped in front of the group he had been trying to break up and beamed at him._

 _Kaiba was the first to kneel, surprising everybody, but the other Bearers followed his lead, even Bakura after a nudge from Ryou. Yami felt a little weird at the sight of his friends bowing to him, especially Yugi, but the hikari was still beaming brightly. The other Mages also wore smiles on their faces. Kaiba's was perhaps the most reassuring; it said that while he was admitting Yami was his king, he would not hesitate to kick him down a notch if he started to treat him any less._

 _Yami returned the smiles with one of his own, and settled back in the throne. He might not remember how he ruled in the past, but he would define his current reign with how he ruled now._

* * *

Kaiba, now fully on board with what was happening, was using his own funds to help set up their foundation. Shadow Mages or not, they would need money to barter with in the nearby cities to get food and supplies and they couldn't very well take jobs to achieve that. Bakura had gotten a dangerous look in his eye when he saw the amount Kaiba was transferring over, causing Yami to promptly ban him from touching the money without permission. Yami did have to acknowledge, however, that Bakura was likely the most skilled of all of them when it came to keeping unwanted people out, so Yami placed him in charge of immediate security.

Kaiba was also quietly pushing Mokuba into more leadership positions, claiming he was too busy to deal with it himself. The young man thrived with everything Kaiba threw his way leaving Kaiba confident that Mokuba would be able to run the company successfully.

Bonds between the Mages grew and strengthened quickly. It got to the point where Yugi could see that they were on their way to becoming family. Joey, Tristen, and Tea were still his closest friends and the ones he would consider brothers and sister, but he couldn't tell them everything anymore.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises, especially for Yami, came from Kaiba just a couple of weeks after the throne room drama…

* * *

 _(Flashback)_

 _The Bearers were busy moving furniture around their underground fortress. Ishizu said the day when they would live here was drawing close, though she did not have an exact time frame. Kaiba refused to live in 'the Dark Ages' and was wiring the place to supply electricity to what would be the most used rooms._

 _It was difficult work since he had to find a way to get the power without drawing suspicion to this area. He had managed to find a way to use the Shadows to connect their power supply with those around the world, each supplying just a little bit, so that the amount of power taken from each source wouldn't be noticed. Because he had used the Shadows, he was able to also hide the wires from being accidentally discovered and subsequently followed. It was a clumsy solution, but Kaiba swore it would only be temporary until he managed to get another source of energy down here._

" _Hey, Yami!" he called as the Pharaoh passed by the open security room carrying an arm full of light fixtures Kaiba was planning on mounting in the throne room. Not great for historical accuracy, but they at least fit the theme and wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb. Kaiba had insisted on it, saying he wouldn't deal with arcane torches if he didn't have to._

" _What?" Yami asked, somewhat irritated._

" _I need your help," Kaiba said, "Set that down and come here."_

" _What could you possibly need me for?" Yami frowned, but did as requested._

 _Kaiba was sticking halfway out of the Shadows, clearly working on something. Yami could only assume it was still the wiring. The monitors that covered the wall were filled with static, filling the room with low light._

" _So where are you?" Yami asked, a slight smirk pulling at his lips._

" _In the wall. Where do you think?" Kaiba responded shortly._

" _Just wondering if you were working halfway around the world on this stuff again," Yami said, "What did you need me for?"_

" _Let me know which screens turn on and when," Kaiba instructed, "There are numbers on the screens."_

 _Yami rolled his eyes, but turned to his task. Arguing with Kaiba was the equivalent of trying to explain to a toddler why they had to wear pants: it didn't work. It didn't seem to matter if Kaiba had acknowledged Yami as his pharaoh, Kaiba did things on his own agenda._

 _Screens began flickering on in front of Yami. "You've got three on right now!" he called to Kaiba._

" _Well be useful and tell me which ones."_

 _Yami scowled at his tone, but looked for the numbers. "Five, six, and ten," he reported._

 _There was no answer to that, but the half of Kaiba that Yami could see shifted slightly, presumably to allow him to reach a new set of wires. The two worked mostly in silence for a while and screens slowly cleared of static. They were almost done when Kaiba spoke up._

" _Hey, Yami, can I ask you something?"_

 _The question took Yami by surprise. Kaiba wasn't one to ask permission for something as simple as a question. "Of course," he answered, trying to sound as neutral as possible. What could he possibly need?_

" _Basically, when all this goes down, we're all supposed to be a family, right?"_

" _Yes," Yami answered, "But nobody here expects you to treat us the way you treat Mokuba and none of us expect to take Mokuba's place."_

" _That wasn't where I was going," Kaiba said, "Promise me that nothing I say leaves this room. That includes your little link with Yugi."_

" _I promise," Yami answered, closing off his thoughts from Yugi, but not completely shutting the bond._

" _Good," Kaiba grunted, "Look... you know I grew up an orphan before Gozaburo adopted me and Mokuba. Family has always been important to me, but the only family I had to care about before was Mokuba."_

" _You'll do fine, Kaiba," Yami assured, trying not think about how bizarre this was. He and Kaiba's relationship was built around rivalry, not sharing feelings._

" _Still not where I was going with this."_

" _Where_ are _you going then?"_

" _Well if you let me actually_ finish _I could tell you," Kaiba said irritated, "...Have you noticed that I'm the only one here who is called by their surname?"_

 _Yami blinked. "Bakura will sometimes call Malik by his," he said, unsure of where Kaiba was going._

 _Kaiba sighed, "Listen… Ishizu says we're supposed to be a family, or at least as close as one. Shouldn't we all be more comfortable around each other?"_

 _Yami took a second to connect the dots. "You want us to call you 'Seto'?"_

 _Out of all the things Kaiba could have said, that was probably the last thing Yami would have suspected. Especially to_ him _first._

" _... You don't_ have _to," Kaiba muttered. Yami was beginning to suspect that Kaiba was only doing all of this work in the Shadows so that he couldn't see his face; he was probably worried Yami would tease him about this. "But I wouldn't necessarily mind. Just not around anyone that would be suspicious of it, obviously."_

" _Naturally. Well, Seto," Yami said with a slight smile, "All of your monitors are on and I need to get back to what I was doing."_

" _...That's it?" Seto sounded shocked._

" _Did you want me to make an official decree?" Yami asked amused._

" _...no…but..."_

" _I'll help you ease the others into this, but you have to tell them yourself."_

" _Sadist," Yami just barely heard Seto murmur._

" _No," Yami chuckled, "That's Bakura. See you back in Domino."_

* * *

The request had come out of seemingly nowhere, but the others were adjusting to the sudden shift in familiarity. Initially the others were just as shocked as Yami was when Seto approached them, but recognized that he was clearly out of his comfort zone and did not make a scene about it. All expect Bakura.

The thief had gone about mocking the CEO, enjoying the discomfort rolling off of him. That is until both Ryou and Yugi got after him for it. Ryou even managed to get Bakura to apologize to Seto for his actions. Yami and Yugi had already witnessed the kind of sway Ryou held over Bakura and weren't too surprised what Ryou had been able to do, however the other Mages were practically floored. Especially since they were familiar with Bakura's treatment of Ryou from before.

Soon though, conversations of names and familiarity lead to conversations about effectively hiding when the time came since they would all be together during that time. All of them were well known Duelists and couldn't easily escape the public eye if they wanted to disappear; somebody somewhere would recognize them.

* * *

 _(Flashback)_

" _Look, the best way to protect ourselves is to remove all of our records," Seto argued. They had been debating this for hours at this point and the Necklace was not being helpful with this decision beyond the knowledge that their stay in Egypt would be very long, "I know how to make us all 'disappear' if I need to. We might be well known to people, but I guarantee that people will start forgetting about us if we don't leave them anything to remember."_

" _You've done this before, have you?" Yami asked suspiciously._

" _Not with anybody here, but you know my record isn't exactly clean," Kaiba confessed._

" _I'm with Fancy Pants," Bakura said, "If -"_

" _When." Yugi corrected firmly._

 _Bakura stared at him just short of a glare. "_ If _," he emphasized, "we get to go back, then we can restore our information. Become real people rather than just memories."_

" _Yugi," Malik spoke up, "At least this way they can suspect that we left on our own accord rather than being kidnapped and causing an international crisis."_

 _Yugi looked away, almost sulking. Yami placed a hand on his shoulder. The Pharaoh didn't like this either, but Malik had a point. This was a way to let their friends know they weren't in any immediate danger, but knowing their friends…_

" _This isn't going to stop any of them from looking for us," Yami said._

" _Nothing will do that," Malik stated, "But I have to agree with Seto here."_

" _It's not that hard to hide your hair and face when you go out. Especially here in Egypt," Bakura argued, "I don't see why we have to cease to exist in the eyes of a government in order to train with the Shadows." He was mostly arguing for Ryou's sake, he obviously didn't have any records to be worried about. "Hell, I bet I could go out into any part of the world as I am right now and get anything you wanted and no one would notice me."_

" _We can't all be master thieves, Bakura," Ryou reminded him._

" _I don't want us to steal stuff and become no better than the criminals we meet," Yugi shook his head, "But I also don't want my existence to be erased."_

" _We need to stay hidden," Ishizu reminded him, "Too many things can go wrong if we rely simply on covering our faces."_

" _Think about it this way," Seto said, "We're protecting them as much as we are protecting us."_

" _What do you mean?" Ryou asked._

" _We've already seen our friends in danger because of us," Yami picked up on Seto's thoughts, "The less information there is about us, the safer they'll be. All of the dangers around us, and in turn them, will disappear if we do."_

" _We'll explain everything when we go back," Malik assured, "Ishizu and I have to leave behind Odion. Seto has to leave behind Mokuba. We need to do this to protect_ all _of them."_

* * *

That had been pretty much the end of the discussion. With the reminder that _everyone_ was leaving someone behind, countering arguments fell flat. If and when the time came for them to disappear, they would do just that; in the eyes of the world the will cease to even have existed.

Deleting the records fell to Kaiba. He was the only one with the knowhow to get into every computer and get out without leaving a trail back to them. All electronic records would be erased immediately and would continue to be if anyone tried to make a new record until the day they returned.

Yugi couldn't help but feel that by doing this, they were cementing their fate and it was one that he wasn't sure he liked. At the time of planning however, the Necklace showed no warnings and none of the other Mages seemed to be as put off by the plan, so Yugi figured it was all in his head.

It wasn't like this was for forever, right?

* * *

 **Ooo... ominous.**

 **It's not really foreshadowing is it? I mean, most of you probably know what I'm doing here. We're almost to where we need to be, just a little bit longer.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review :)**


	16. An Unkeepable Promise

**Welcome back and Happy Father's Day to any dads reading this! This is what we've been leading up towards for the past 15 chapters. I honestly thought we'd be here a long time ago, but I'm not complaining. Not to worry, this isn't the end, but it is the tipping point...let's see what happens!**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Ishizu and Malik had taken it upon themselves to teach Yami everything they knew about Ancient Egypt, palace life, and how to act like a Pharaoh. Yes, Yami already had the demeanor of a leader and at times the fact he was a pharaoh shone through, but the Ishtars insisted he learn more. It was exhausting work with seemingly endless scrolls to read through and hours of practice. The lessons were slow and Yami didn't see half the purpose in most of what he was learning, but Ishizu swore it would be useful one day.

Some of that training was starting to rub off on Yugi and it was beginning to show in his day to day life. Yugi typically stayed quiet during school unless it was free time, so fortunately nobody outside of his group of friends had the chance to notice anything. When his friends _did_ notice, Yami was there to take the fall with the explanation that latent behaviors and instincts were the first things to worm their way to the front of his memories and that Yugi was affected because of them.

It disturbed Yugi at how easily they were able to lie to their friends about this now and how easily his friends seemed to swallow whatever story they managed to come up with. The fact it was for their own good did nothing to help.

"Any other memories comin' up?" Joey asked one afternoon almost three weeks after the vault incident.

He, Tristen, and Yugi were walking through the park, waiting for Tea to be done with dance practice for the day. Yugi was allowing Yami to get in some quality time with their friends while he spent the time resting in his Soul Room trying to prepare best he could for anything that might happen tonight.

Yami had just slipped into 'king pharaoh mode' as opposed to 'friend pharaoh mode' as put by Yugi. Their friends were getting used to it, but it was easy to tell when either Yugi or Yami acted 'more royal', especially Yugi. "Think your name might be next?"

"I don't know much, but I do know my name was the key that I used to seal away the darkness in Egypt," Yami responded calmly, "If I get any concrete memories back, then my name is likely the _last_ thing that returns."

"Don't be so insensitive, Joey," Tristen scolded, putting Joey in a headlock, "How would you like it if you lost all of your memories and people kept badgering you about them?"

"Like _you're_ Mr. Sensitivity!" Joey countered, easily escaping the hold and putting Tristen in one of his own.

Yami gave a nervous laugh and edged away from them as they grappled. Normally, Tea would break them up, but seeing as she wasn't available... Yami decided it was in his best interest to let them settle it themselves; nobody was getting hurt and this was really how these two communicated with each other.

The topic of his absent memories was far less painful than it used to be now that he felt like he was doing something to actually get them back rather than just sitting around waiting for 'the right time'. The fact Yugi had given him a new name and he had gained memories since rejoining the world helped to ease some of it as well. He could recall things, he had built relationships, and he had a purpose.

Joey got free from Tristen and quickly put some distance between them. If Yami happened to be _between_ that distance, that was just a coincidence and definitely not Joey using him as a human shield.

"Are you two finished?" Yami asked, mildly amused.

"For now," Tristen said.

"How's your arm doing?" Joey asked abruptly, poking it gently, "Ready to have a duel?"

Yami hid a wince at Joey's touch. Yugi hadn't felt pain from it in two weeks, but the Shadows still liked to remind Yami of his mistake, even if the wound had completely closed.

"We could have dueled any time," Yami replied, covertly shifting away, "And you know the stitches have been out for a while now. You were there when they were taken out."

Joey frowned, "Playing on a table isn't the same," he whined, "I haven't had a _good_ duel with you in ages. I've gotten stronger since Battle City."

Both statements were true and if Yami were honest with himself, he had been looking forward to the next time he got to duel Joey. No lives on the line, no companies to save, just the thrill and the rush of the game. At the mention of a duel, Yugi stirred in his mind. Yami would have suggested they duel right then and there except for two things…

"I don't have my Duel Disk on me," Yami said, "It's at home. Besides, do you really want to duel in the middle of the day? We'll draw quite the crowd."

"Since when did you care about a crowd?" Tristen asked, "You've dueled in front of hundreds of people before."

' _Tournaments are different,'_ Yugi said indignantly.

' _Very,'_ Yami agreed before voicing Yugi's comment.

"Can't really argue with you there," Joey agreed, "Usually we've been to focused on stopping bad guys to really care about people watching. I know I'd like to try out some new strategies and don't need people mocking me if they fail."

"That wouldn't stop anyone," Tristen teased, only to find himself dodging a punch from Joey.

"I thought you guys were done," Yami moved out of the way quickly in case a new scuffle began. The boys backed down at Yami's words, though their expressions said they would continue this later.

"Morning would be the best time then," Tristen said, getting back to the pending duel.

"We know," both Yami and Joey said together before chuckling. The air was cool and still in the morning with only a few people actually awake and active. Those that _were_ up that early were either going home after a night shift or hurrying to work, nobody who had time to stick around and watch.

' _There's no school tomorrow,'_ Yugi said eagerly. No school meant an open schedule and no time constraints on the duel.

Joey seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Tomorrow morning?" he asked.

Yami nodded, challenge gleaming playfully in his eyes, "At dawn."

"Dawn? That's so early!" Joey whined. It was mostly a front and Yami knew that. If a duel was involved, Joey would do just about anything to be on time.

"But there's nobody around," Yami pointed out anyway, "Worked well for us last time."

"Wait wait wait," Tristen interrupted, "You guys had a duel and we weren't invited? When was this?!"

"After Battle City," Yami answered nonchalantly.

"How do you think I got Red Eyes back in my deck?" Joey asked.

"I never thought about it!" Tristen defended himself, "Isn't it almost time to pick up Tea?" he changed the subject.

Yami pulled out his phone to check the time. "Her lesson ends in about fifteen minutes," he reported, "We can probably start heading that way."

* * *

They met Tea outside of her dance studio and walked together to dinner. Yugi was back in control, Yami had insisted on it saying he would have plenty of time tomorrow.

Tea brought with her good news: she had an audition with her first school of choice and they would be flying a couple of representatives to Japan to audition her in person! Her dance instructor was going to be working closely with her to choreograph a routine over the next couple of weeks. Yugi forced himself to not react when she mentioned the new rumors surrounding the director.

The rest of the evening was spent at Burger World celebrating the good news. Tea was absolutely glowing the entire time and the boys weren't going to spoil her fun with talk of Duel Monsters. Eventually though, it was time for them to head home.

"We're still on for tomorrow morning, right?" Joey checked as the two of them reached the crossroads where they split.

"Of course," Yugi answered cheerfully, "Wouldn't miss it."

"Meet you at the center of town then! I ain't gonna go easy on you!"

"You'd better not!" Yugi replied, waving as he headed his own way.

Yugi was halfway home when his phone started ringing. Frowning, he pulled it out and looked at the caller ID.

"Ishizu?" he answered confused, stopping in the middle of the deserted street. They weren't due to all meet until tomorrow evening.

"Tonight," she said without preamble, but it was all she needed to say. Yugi's blood ran cold at the word.

"Tonight? It can't be," he argued, "We've promised a duel with Joey in the morning!"

"It has to be," Ishizu replied.

Yami took over, not pleased with the vague answer. "Why?" he demanded.

"The Shadows are happy and are growing in strength, Pharaoh. There will be a surge of Shadow Magic tomorrow," she responded, "While we are comfortable at controlling the Shadows at our currently level, the level of strength at which they will rise to will be too strong to handle for day-to-day life. Uncontrollable magic is the last thing we want around those we care about."

"You think I don't know that?" Yami snapped and then sighed trying to calm himself down, "Are you sure this is the moment we have been preparing for? Is there any way this will be temporary?"

"This is the moment, Pharaoh," Ishizu answered gently, "It will take time to regain complete control over the Shadows, and even then, I cannot be sure that another event such as this won't happen again. To keep everyone we care about safe, we must leave."

' _Nothing has happened in months!'_ Yugi argued.

' _We've pushed our luck so far with controlling the Shadows around our friends,'_ Yami noted, ' _They still like to act up when we're not paying attention. If they are going to get harder to control, we certainly don't want to put our friends in that danger.'_

' _Are you suggesting we go ahead with this tonight?'_ Yugi asked.

' _Our choices are limited at the moment,'_ Yami replied, _'We either leave to protect our friends, or we stay and put them in greater danger than they have ever been._ _It's not like it's forever, right? We_ have _been planning this and we need to be able to focus on training.'_

' _Maybe not forever, but from the way Ishizu is talking, it could be at least several years before we can return. The longer we're gone, the harder it will be to explain.'_

' _I know, but it's for their own safety. I'll take the lectures and guilt trips anyday over putting them in any kind of danger they'd be in by just being around us.'_

Deep down, Yugi knew Yami was right, but he was conflicted with the feeling of abandoning his friends and wanting to protect them. Yami was patient while Yugi slowly worked out which desire was stronger.

Finally, Yugi gave his answer, _'Alright...'_

"Ishizu," Yami spoke, not bothering to explain his long silence, "When tonight do we need to leave?"

Only silence greeted him on the other end of the line.

"Ishizu?" Yami asked, concern starting to grow, "Are you still there?"

More silence.

"Ishizu, answer me!" he demanded, wondering if something terrible had happened.

Finally there was a sound of slight movement on the other end, but the voice that continued the conversation wasn't Ishizu's. "Pharaoh?" Malik's voice joined the conversation, "Ishizu's stuck in a vision right now. Any idea if there was a trigger?"

Well, at least a vision explained the sudden silence and Yami calmed down a bit. "She was just telling us that apparently we have to leave tonight."

"Yeah," Malik confirmed, "She had that vision in the middle of the night."

There was more movement and Yami could here Malik quietly talking to Ishizu. Apparently the vision ended. Suddenly, the conversation sounded more like an argument than a discussion.

"I'm not telling him that! You tell him!" Malik insisted.

"I have to tell everybody else," Ishizu hissed, "You're already on the phone with him!"

"Damn straight you do! Get some practice with the scary one!"

Everything was so vague, but it was clear that whatever Ishizu saw bore bad news for all of them. His heart started pounding as his thoughts went wild, trying to figure out what the siblings could possibly be arguing about. He tried to keep his thoughts under control for Yugi's sake, but the expression on the hikari's face told him that he too was imagining worst case scenarios.

"What is going on?" he finally broke up their argument.

There was a beat of silence and then the sound of a phone being thrust into someone else's hand. "My Pharaoh," Ishizu started, "It would appear that the Shadows -"

"Just tell me what it is," Yami said, trying not to growl. He didn't want pleasantries, he wanted answers.

"...We are not coming back…"

* * *

 _We are not coming back_.

The statement ran through Yugi's mind as he numbly packed everything he owned. Yami was helping him gather things and take them to Egypt through the Shadows. By morning, it would be as if Yugi Muto had never lived here, or even lived at all. He wouldn't be able to explain to his friends that leaving them wasn't his choice but that he had been forced into it by fate. He didn't want to think what it would do to his grandfather when he woke up to a completely empty home.

He picked up a framed picture from his desk and stared at it. It was taken just after the Orichalcos debacle, just him, Joey, Tristen, and Tea smiling like there was nothing wrong in the world. To be fair, they had just defeated Dartz, so at that point in time it was almost true. Hidden behind that picture was a similar one taken after Battle City, and behind that, one taken after Duelist Kingdom. He carefully laid the picture and frame on top of one of the boxes; he refused to forget his friends, even if he was basically forcing his friends to forget him.

Finally the last of all his personal effects were boxed up and Yami quietly took it to Egypt, allowing Yugi his time to say goodbye to his home. His room was surprisingly bare and empty. Yugi had never seen his room like this. The bed was perfectly made, the desk was cleared, the dresser and closets were completely empty, there was nothing on the walls. It was just and empty room with some furniture, nothing to make it look welcoming or lived in at all. For as long as he could remember this was _his_ room, it felt strange to even stand in it when it had been stripped to bare bones.

Not wanting to be in his room any longer, he padded down the hallway to his grandpa's room, using the Shadows to pass through the door so he would not disturb his sleep. Solomon laid sprawled out on his bed, snoring happily away, never suspecting that he would never see his grandson again. Yugi was tempted to throw the Puzzle away then and there, ignore fate, and stay here happily with his friends and family… except he knew he wouldn't be happy without Yami.

Yugi didn't jump when a hand landed on his shoulder, he had sensed Yami's presence drawing closer for a while now. The two stood in silence, listening to the chimes from the clock downstairs chime gently three times.

"We will still protect them," Yami broke the silence quietly, "They just can't know."

"They are going to be so hurt," Yugi whispered, tears threatening to form in his eyes, "Why do we have to hurt them to protect them?"

"I don't know," Yami admitted, "But perhaps this is a trial for all of us. What are we willing to sacrifice to protect what we love?"

"Surely the Shadows know that by now," Yugi answered.

"Maybe they do. Maybe they want to show _you_ what _you_ are willing to do."

Yugi stayed silent. He would sacrifice _himself_ to save and protect his friends and family, he had already shown that in America hadn't he?

 _It is easy for you to sacrifice yourself_ , the Shadows hissed, _Sacrifice must be difficult, or it is meaningless. For the good of the world, will you relinquish your friends?_

Yugi did not answer. It was clear that was exactly was he was doing, but he wasn't surprised that the Shadows felt his wavering heart. This was without a doubt the hardest thing he had ever had to do and they wanted to be sure he was truly dedicated to the Court. Reincarnation of the Pharaoh or not, he was still subject to the judgement of the Shadows.

He placed a hand over his deck and whispered to the sleeping form in front of him, "Thank you for everything, Grandpa. I hope I can honor everything you have taught me."

Yami squeezed his hikari's shoulder and guided him out of the room. "Did you want to say goodbye to your friends as well? I can wait for you if you prefer."

Yugi shook his head, "I don't think I should. They don't sleep as deeply as Grandpa. Let's...let's just go to Egypt."

"If you're sure," Yami surrendered easily, leading the way, "Bakura is setting the final protections around all of the entrances. Knowing him, they won't be tame."

"Meaning they will do horrible things to people," Yugi concluded, successfully keeping the disdain out of his voice, but not from his bond with Yami.

"I'm not happy with it either," Yami told him, "But it's really for our safety as well as the people we are trying to keep out."

"How?"

"Bakura and Ishizu intend to allow rumors to spread, dangerous rumors, in order to keep people out of the desert in our direction," Yami explained, "It's better than having to Game everyone who found us and certainly better than eye witnesses reporting us."

"I guess…"

"Come on," Yami said, "Ishizu was cooking a late dinner when I last checked in, we wouldn't want to disappoint her would we?"

The two stepped out of the Shadows together, the first steps into their new lives. Ones with twists and turns not even Ishizu could predict.

* * *

 **There we go. Yugi and Yami have officially 'disappeared'. In a way, this is the end of one part and the beginning of another. This story is far from over and now we get to explore the time after the Mages went into hiding. There will be plenty of stories on both sides and I have bits and pieces planned out already. I want to make sure I close any plot holes, so please let me know if you see any!**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review :)**


	17. One Month

**Welcome back! I guess we can call this the beginning of part two as we start to explore the time after the Mages left. What are they up to? What are the people the left behind up to? Now we get to find out!**

 **Enjoy :)**

* * *

"Dodge!"

*CLANG*

"I told you to dodge! Not block!"

*CLANG*

"It was either that or let you stab me!"

"So move faster! I'm not going to let you have a weapon next time!"

*CLASH*

"You're *pant* just trying to *pant* kill me!"

*CLANG*

"If I wanted to kill you then I certainly wouldn't do it this way!"

"Put some thought into this have you?"

"CLASH*

"As if it takes much thought!"

*CLANG*

"Damn it, Pharaoh! Move faster! Blocking does you no good if you don't have the speed to counter!"

Yami leaped out of the way of the oncoming sword thrust. "Can we take a break?" he panted, "We've been at this for an hour!"

Bakura wasn't even winded and cocked an eyebrow at the Pharaoh. "Two minutes," he allowed, "Only because you actually managed to dodge the last strike."

Yami breathed a sigh of relief and sat back, trying to get his breathing under control. There was no doubt that out of all of them, Bakura was definitely the best fighter and had taken it upon himself to train them for physical confrontations. Malik came in a close second and the two of them would often have much more intense sparring matches.

"Is this even necessary?" Yami asked as he caught his breath, "I understand needing to know basics, but we seem to have done well defending ourselves with the Shadows."

"Really? How's that working out for you right now? Yugi has the Puzzle, just like Ryou has the Ring-"

"-and ever since the Shadows grew in strength, the only thing we can do without the Items is maintain our forms and Shadow Travel only if the Item is nearby," Yami finished with a sigh of defeat.

"Exactly. And when it comes time for your turn to go out to the markets, you can't take the Puzzle with you. It's too conspicuous to be worn openly and too bulky to hide under your clothes."

"And a _sword_ is less conspicuous?" Yami shot at the thief.

"A sword is just a rod with a sharpened edge," Bakura answered, "If it came down to it, you should be able to transfer any skills with a sword to anything similarly shaped. The markets can be a dangerous place if you aren't careful. Better to be prepared for the worst."

Yami did not respond. Bakura had made some good points, though he had neglected to point out that since Yami was Pharaoh, he was expected to be proficient at using a sword. Ishizu had told him he probably was at one point and it was her opinion that it wouldn't take too much time before those instincts reawakened just like they had with the Ancient Egyptian language. While the sword was starting to feel more and more familiar in his hand, he had to wonder if maybe this was taking so long because Bakura was trying to teach him a different style than he learned before.

"Well, Pharaoh, I believe your two minutes are up. Let's try this again... Dodge!"

* * *

(Domino)

"What do you mean you haven't found anything yet?!" Joey demanded, slamming his fist down, "It's been a month!"

"I understand you're upset, Mr. Wheeler," Officer Billups, the lead officer of Yugi's case, tried to calm down the teen, "But yelling at me will not accomplish anything. We've just expanded the search nationwide. I assure you that I have my best team working around the clock in order to find the King of Games."

"Screw the 'King of Games' stuff! I want my best friend back! Hell, his grandpa wants his grandson back!"

"Joey!" Tea reprimanded from the side, "They're doing what the can."

"It's not enough!" Joey growled at her.

"I'm worried too," she snapped back, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "But this is not helping!"

Billups watched the scene sadly. Unfortunately, it was not an uncommon one from friends and families of those who went missing. He also knew that the longer they went without a lead, the less likely they were to find the missing person, but he kept that bit of information to himself for now.

"His status as King of Games actually works in our favor. It should anyway," he cut in, "Almost everybody knows who he is and what he looks like. Even if he changed his hair and clothes, I think there are enough people who would recognize him despite that."

"You think he would change himself?" Tea asked worried.

"It's not unheard of," Billups answered, "However, his face and stature are known enough that it shouldn't matter."

"Even with that, you haven't even found even the slightest bit of information?" Tristen tried.

The officer sighed, "None. Well, nothing that helps us find them anyway."

"What did you find then?" Joey asked quickly.

"The records of Yugi Muto are nowhere to be found," Billups told them, "His birth certificate, his school records, any kind of record that proved he was a living person has been deleted. Plus, the case files keep disappearing from the computer. We've had to go old school and keep paper records of everything and those take time to sort through. The same has been done for Ryou Bakura, who I believe you reported missing at the same time."

"We did," Tristen confirmed, stunned at the news.

"Can you guys trace who did it?" Joey asked, "It had to be done electronically, right?"

"Whoever did this left no trace behind," the officer sighed, "My best computer experts can't find any trace of an electronic fingerprint."

The three of them exchanged glances; even Kaiba wasn't that good.

"Do you mind if we bring in our own computer genius to look at it?" Joey asked suddenly, "She was able to get past Kaiba Corp's security system even after it had been reconfigured to keep Kaiba himself out; with Kaiba's permission of course," he added at the end so that it didn't make Rebecca sound like a criminal.

"Who is this person?" Billups asked, grabbing a pen and notepad.

"Rebecca Hawkins," Joey provided, "She's the American Duel Monsters Champion and a good friend of Yugi's."

"I take it you haven't told her about his disappearance yet?"

"We were hoping that he'd be found by now," Tea answered truthfully.

"She's going to go insane when we tell her," Tristen groaned, face-palming.

"She may know already anyway," Billups said, "While official statements haven't been released outside of the area, news travels fast now days."

"She hasn't called us screeching yet, so I don't think she does," Tristen answered.

"There's nothing that prevents you from hiring your own people for this case," Billups told them. "You get her here and we'll see what we can do."

"We'll have her here in two days," Joey promised, hope revitalized at the prospect. He turned to Tristen and Tea, "You guys stay here and hold down the fort. I'll get Mokuba to take me to America to find Rebecca."

"Keep us updated," Tristen nodded.

"Mokuba!" Joey called as he entered the mansion that had become almost like a second home to all of them, Tea and Tristen had headed over to Kame Game Shop to let Yugi's grandpa know everything they learned and what their current plan of attack was. "We need to go to America!"

Mokuba flew down the stairs, hope shining in his eyes, "Did they find them? Is that where they are?"

"We need to get Rebecca," Joey told him, "Apparently all of Yugi's and Bakura's records have been removed. Their birth certificates, their school records, everything. The police haven't been able to track the computer that did it."

"And Rebecca was the one who was able to hack our security system from the outside," Mokuba said, understanding dawning on him, "She has the best shot of tracking who removed the records, and leading us to where they are!"

"That's the idea," Joey said grinning.

"I'll go get Roland to warm up the plane!" Mokuba hurried off, shouting orders on the way.

Joey smiled after him. Whether he knew it or not, Mokuba had picked up more from his brother than he realized. Joey was just happy that Kaiba's ego wasn't part of it. He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Rebecca's number, international charges be damned. He'd make Kaiba pay for them when they found him.

"Hello?" the confused voice on the other side greeted him.

"Hey, Rebecca," Joey greeted, "It's Joey. I know it's getting late over there…"

"Then why are you calling?" Rebecca snapped.

"Listen, we need to meet up with you; it's kinda an emergency. We're flying out in just a few minutes. Where can we meet you?"

"We're at Grandpa's old research lab," she said, "Reconstruction is going on, so we're living in the trailer for now. What's going on?"

"We'll explain when we get there, have a bag packed. We should be there sometime in the late afternoon," he instructed.

"Okay," she said hesitantly, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya," Joey replied and hung up.

 _Hold on, Yugi,_ he thought determinedly, _I'm going to find you and you'd better have some damn good answers when I do._

* * *

The flight to America was long. Even with the comforts of the Kaiba Corporation private jet, Joey couldn't settle down and ended up pacing the length of the cabin once it was safe. They were so close to a solid clue leading to Yugi!

"Joey, we won't be landing for another couple hours," Mokuba looked up from his computer. The data sheet he was studying made no sense to Joey.

"What's taking so long?" he complained, "Can't this plane go faster?"

"We're already traveling at top speed and making good time. Relax."

"I can't," Joey said agitatedly, "We're so close to a solid lead! The first one in a month! How're you so calm? This could take us to Kaiba too."

Mokuba stared steadily at him. "Seto left me in charge of his company. I intend on taking care of it until he comes back. I can't afford to be anything but focused."

"Well you do a damn good job," Joey muttered. He looked solemnly at the young Kaiba, "He would be proud of how well you've done."

Instead of looking pleased, as Joey had thought, Mokuba's expression turned more somber. He looked back at his computer, "Part of me wonders if this is some sort of test. To see if I have the ability to continue the Kaiba legacy…"

Joey sat next to the young boy, brotherly instincts taking over. "Kaiba may be a jerk, but he always put you first; even before the company. If your happiness was a stake, he wouldn't give a damn about the 'Kaiba legacy.'"

"You think?"

"Yeah," Joey nodded, "There has to be another reason. When we find them, we'll make them tell us; use as many guilt trips as necessary to pry it out of them. You can start crying; Kaiba would probably spill everything, maybe even before Yugi."

Mokuba let out a laugh at the thought. Joey smiled, glad he was able to pull Mokuba out of the slumps.

Joey took another look at the computer screen and shook his head. If it made no sense to him, how the heck was Mokuba dealing with all of this?

"Why don't you explain some of this to me," Joey suggested.

Mokuba shot him a puzzled look. " _You_ want to learn business?"

"Why not?" Joey answered loftily, "If Rich Boy can do it, it can't be _that_ bad. Besides, this way I can help you out a bit."

"If you're sure," Mokuba replied, though he was sure Joey would grow bored in a few minutes. He turned the computer so they could both see it easily and began explaining the charts, the problems, and how such problems could potentially be fixed.

The rest of the flight was spent with the two of them in deep conversation. Time seemed to fly by and before either of them realized it, the pilot informed them they were approaching the landing strip.

Even in America the Kaiba name drew a lot of attention, so when the company's plane pulled up on the tarmac, the people staring could been seen all the way in the airport. Fortunately, they had a limo waiting and didn't have to deal with it for long. Joey had no doubt that there were probably some poor fangirls who were disappointed that Kaiba did not disembark with them.

As the limo pulled out, Joey's anxiousness returned. _Soon,_ he thought determinedly, _soon we'll have some answers._

They arrived at the Hawkins' ranch later that afternoon. The trailer was parked out front and behind it was the frame of a new research facility for the professor. Hopefully Rebecca would be ready to go so they could get back to Japan.

The two of them walked up to the trailer while Roland stood by the car. The door on the trailer opened before Joey could finish knocking.

"Joey?" Rebecca's questioning tone greeted the two travelers, "Is Yugi with you?! Where is my darling?"

Joey and Mokuba exchanged a hesitant glance between them. Now that they were here and faced with Rebecca's adoration of Yugi, neither of them knew how to break the news to her.

"Rebecca," Joey started, "Yugi _is_ actually the reason we're here, but he's not with us."

"What do you mean he's not with you?!" Rebecca cried furiously, "Did he not want to see me?"

"Rebecca? Who's at the door?" Professor Hawkins came into view, having been drawn by his granddaughter's yelling. "Oh, hello, Joey," he greeted kindly, "And Mokuba too. To what do we owe this visit? The world is not in danger again is it?"

"No," Mokuba answered, "Though right now, it might be preferable."

Professor Hawkins blinked, unsure how to respond to the strange comment. "I have a feeling it is a long story," he held the door wider, "Come in and we can talk about it over some tea."

Joey and Mokuba followed the old professor into the trailer. Mokuba had never been in it, but it was slightly ironic to Joey. They were in this trailer the last time they lost Yugi too. At least the last time they had the Pharah and had a plan to get him back.

An awkward silence reigned as the professor made the tea and Rebecca glared at them. After what seemed like an eternity, the professor set down steaming cups in front of them and took a seat next to his granddaughter.

"Now then," he broke the silence, "Why don't you tell us what's going on? Rebecca has her bag packed as you requested, Joey, but I would like to know why you are whisking her away."

Joey took a deep breath, "Yugi's missing," he said quickly.

"My darling is missing?!" Rebecca exclaimed, standing up, "Again?! Was it the Pharaoh's fault? I'll never forgive him this time!"

"Rebecca," Joey interrupted her rant firmly, stunning her into silence. Even she knew it wasn't often that Joey would be so serious, "The Pharaoh went with him. He packed up everything he owned and vanished overnight."

"Not only that," Mokuba added, "My brother disappeared the same night."

"You would have thought the news of two high profile duelists going missing would be big news," Professor Hawkins commented lightly. There was no accusation in his voice, only a hint of confusion.

"Three," Joey corrected, "Ryou Bakura is also missing. He ranked eighth at the Battle City Tournament and probably would have gotten further if he hadn't gone against Yugi in the first round of the finals."

"We've kept as much as we can about my brother under wraps," Mokuba explained, "It would be devastating to the company if word got out. As for Yugi and Bakura, the news has spread all over Japan now and there's an active force out looking for them."

"But they've run into a problem," Joey continued, "Which is why we need you, Rebecca."

"What problem? Why me?"

"Every single record that existed about them has been deleted," Joey explained, "Birth certificates, school records, everything. The investigation team has to keep paper copies of everything because all of their digital files keep being deleted and they can't find the hacker."

"You were able to hack Kaiba Corp's security system," Mokuba continued, "If anyone can trace this hacker back, it's you."

Rebecca's expression became serious at that. It was obvious she would do whatever she could to find Yugi.

"It sounds like it's been a while," the professor said.

"A month," Joey confirmed sadly.

"My darling has been missing for a month?!" Rebecca nearly screeched. "Why wasn't I told sooner?!"

"We hoped they'd either be back by now or we found them," Mokuba told her.

"What could have happened?" she backed off, looking down.

Joey shook his head, "We don't know. They didn't leave anything behind except a note from Kaiba saying Mokuba was now in charge of Kaiba Corp. Didn't apologize for leaving or anything. Just said good luck."

"This is so unlike them," Rebecca said, "Yugi could have at least called me and said good-bye."

Joey shifted. Honestly if Yugi were going to say good-bye to anyone, it would have been his grandfather at the very least, but he didn't even do that. "You're our last hope at a lead," he said instead.

"So long as I can get into the computers those records were erased from, I should be able to do it," Rebecca said determinedly.

Joey and Mokuba's faces split into huge grins. "Then what are we waiting for?"

* * *

 **I know absolutely nothing about business... don't know if you could tell by how vaguely I described it or not. I also don't know how hacking works, but I guess that's why they call it fiction.**

 **The next chapter might take a little while. I'm going to try my hand at writing my first duel and I don't know if it's going to go in the next chapter or the one after. Either way, I feel like it's going to take me a while to write it.**

 **Please review!**


	18. New of an Announcement

**Wow! I'm back! It's only been... 5 months... apparently. Ever since the new school year started, I'm finding less and less time to actually get to spend time on this, not for lack of trying though.**

 **Anyway, enough about that. We want to see if Rebecca could do what the police could not.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Their last hopes had been dashed.

Rebecca wasn't able to trace the hackers back to their source, though she was actually able to get somewhere unlike the other experts. She managed to trace back to Indonesia before the trail went cold. At the very least, it showed that somebody had gone to great lengths to cover their tracks by worming their way through several computers.

-Flashback-

" _Impressive," the police chief commented as he looked over Rebecca's shoulder, "When you get older, you could make a career out of this."_

" _You can offer me the job when I can trace this all the way back," she bit back._

 _The chief was taken back by the sharp comment, but let it slide. Clearly he understood that this was a tense time for all of them._

" _I'll be honest," the chief said after a moment, "I would have thought Kaiba Corp could find both of them much faster that we could have. After all, didn't Mr. Kaiba put GPS tracking in all of the Duel Disks and linked them to his own satellite?"_

 _Mokuba tensed and then answered smoothly, "Kaiba Corp has already tried to locate them using that method, but we can't even get a trace of a signal from their Duel Disks."_

" _I see…"_

 _It wasn't a lie. The first thing they did after filing the initial report was run back to Mokuba and have him search using the satellites. The registration numbers weren't even in the system any more._

-End-

It seemed that Yugi was gone for good; or at least until he wanted to be found. Mokuba was under the impression that Kaiba was behind the missing computer files, but he couldn't bring it to the police's attention without exposing Kaiba missing as well. Mokuba was still adjusting to running a company and didn't need that kind of publicity right now.

The group sat dejected in the Kaiba Mansion after returning from the police station. Mokuba was back on his computer, typing vigorously. Rebecca sat next to him, her own computer open, studying the screen intently as she tried to figure out a way around the dead end she encountered. Both had tears pricking the corners of their eyes, but they refused to let them fall.

"What do we do now?" Tea asked in a small voice. She sat curled into the couch; her usual optimistic demeanor was nowhere to be seen as their new reality hit her hard.

"I ain't givin' up," Joey said firmly, a determined glint in his eye, "No way. Yugi wouldn't give up if it was one of us. There's no way I'm letting this go."

"Joey, what can we possibly do?"

Joey frowned. He had never heard Tea sound so helpless before. In fact, she was usually the one cheering them on and reminding them to never give up.

 _Do you even know what you did to us?_ Joey asked silently as he looked around at the other fallen faces in the room.

"The only thing we can do right now is to hold things down until he comes back," Tristen answered when Joey didn't say anything.

"Tristen's right," Joey quickly agreed, "We need to continue with our lives and just keep searching in our free time. There has to be a reason he left without telling us. The Pharaoh tried to do that once before, remember?"

"Which time?" Tea asked humorlessly.

"He does have a bad habit of doing that," Tristen said, "They both do."

"I was thinking of the time right before we had to deal with Dartz," Joey admitted, "The Pharaoh was aiming to get his memories, and possibly leave forever, without telling us."

"I was thinking of when he jumped out the window," Tristen said, "But yours works too."

A knock at the door interrupted them. Roland entered carrying a handful of papers which he handed over to Mokuba without a word. Mokuba gave a nod of thanks and Roland took his leave again.

"Joey," Mokuba said after the door closed, holding the papers out to him, "This is the information you wanted. Let me know what you decide."

"Thanks, man."

The group sat confused as Joey accepted the papers and began looking through them without explanation. Tristen shared a glance with Tea and went to look over Joey's shoulder.

"Colleges? _You_ want to go to college?"

"What of it?" Joey shrugged him away defensively, "My grades aren't _that_ bad. I mean, at least I'm passing, and there are colleges who will still take me with my grades."

"Yeah, but _why_? I figured you'd want to be done with school as soon as you could."

"I want to help Mokuba with Kaiba Corp."

* * *

"Arrrggghhh!"

Yugi and Yami looked up from their duel towards the security room where the frustrated yelled had come from. Yugi looked mildly concerned while Yami looked mildly amused. The sound had become somewhat familiar recently and usually meant Seto had encountered a problem with his computers. Yami had quietly declared Mokuba a saint for putting up with his brother day in and day out.

Seto stalked out of the room and threw a glare at the pair of them before marching into the kitchen. He pulled out tequila and a shot glass. Bakura had made sure that their supply of alcohol wouldn't run dry any time soon, though it was usually it was him and Malik who reached for it. Seto was usually more of a strong coffee drinker than anything else.

Ignoring the two pairs of eyes on him, he quickly poured himself a shot and knocked it back, grimacing at the taste.

Yugi opened his mouth to ask if he was okay, but Seto stopped him with another glare and poured himself another shot. Yugi and Yami exchanged a confused look, amusement long gone. This was certainly uncharacteristic of the usually cool and collected business man.

"Seto?" Yami asked abandoning the game, "Everything alright?"

"No!" Seto growled, slamming down the empty glass on the counter, "If _your_ dumbass friend wrecks _my_ company, I swear to every Egyptian god above and below, I will end _him_ and _you_."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mokuba's planning to actually send the mutt to college and then _hire_ him to help him run Kaiba Corp," Seto answered Yami's question, "I'll admit that he showed some modicum of skill when he went to get the Hawkins brat, but there's no way that Wheeler could ever make it in that world!"

"Joey wants to go into business?" Yugi asked with a small amount of wonder. Of all the things he could picture Joey doing, dressing in suits and sitting in meetings discussing gains and losses was definitely not one of them.

"Joey wants to go to college?" Yami marvelled.

"Why on earth would Mokuba think that any of this would be a good idea?" Kaiba ignored their questions.

"You left Mokuba with a pretty big burden," Yami reminded him patiently, "Is it so bad to get help?"

"Anything to do with him is bad!"

"Seto, you have to admit that Joey is a skilled duelist and believe it or not, he picks up on things pretty quickly," Yugi defended, "You entrusted your company to Mokuba, let him make his own decisions."

"Besides, it'll be quite a while before anything can actually happen," Yami tried to placate him, "Joey has to graduate high school first, plus he'll have a lot of other things to worry about pretty soon."

"Like what?" Seto challenged.

"Like being recognized as the new King of Games."

Both Seto and Yugi froze at that. It hadn't crossed any of their minds before, but it made sense. With Yugi, Malik, and Seto are no longer around, then the next strongest duelist would be Joey.

"...FUU-!"

* * *

 _(One month later)_

Joey weaved in and out of the throng of people, until he spotted his target walking down a deserted side corridor. "Mai!" he called when he was finally close enough to be heard.

"Joey?" the blonde woman turned around surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you," Joey caught up to her, "We need to talk."

"What? Why?" Mai asked confused. This kind of behavior from Joey was out of character. "How did you get here?"

"Mokuba brought me," Joey nodded back towards the small pre-teen who had managed to keep up and was now waiting patiently with Roland.

"Joey, what's going on?"

"We need you to come back to Domino." Joey said bluntly.

Mai narrowed her eyes suspiciously and turned away. "You should know my answer: not until I prove myself as a Duelist. I am sure that you guys can handle whatever danger the world is in without me." She started to walk away, intent on disappearing into the crowd that was only a few feet away from where they stood in the alcove, oblivious that they were there.

"You're ranked number two now!" Joey shouted at her trying to keep his voice even, but there was still a discernible waver.

Mai stopped dead in her tracks. "Don't patronize me," she whispered, "There are plenty ahead of me and I won't stop until I've beaten them all in a fair duel."

"That's going to be hard to do… They've been missing for almost two months now. Haven't you seen the news?"

She whipped around, blonde hair flying and eyes wide from the bombshell Joey just dropped. As much as she wanted to doubt what was said, she also wanted to know the details, but Joey's grim expression told her more than any words could.

"I've seen Yugi's name flash on the screen and that's it," Mai answered, "I assumed he had just done something amazing again."

"Yugi's gone missing," Joey corrected, "Just packed up everything he owned and left without a trace. Police can't track him down. We even got Rebecca to hack into the computers and she couldn't find anything. Odion called a week ago to ask if we had heard anything from Malik and Ishizu since he hadn't heard from or seen them in months. Bakura apparently left the same time Yugi did. Even Kaiba disappeared. Left Mokuba in charge of everything with nothing more than a note passing ownership of Kaiba Corp over. You, me, and Odion are the only ones left from the last ranking tournament."

Mai stared in disbelief. She wanted so badly to say that Joey was making this up, as a ploy to get her back into his group of friends, but the pain in his voice and the tears in his eyes told her he spoke the truth.

"Duel me," she said firmly, activating her Duel Disk, "Duel me, and prove to me what you're saying is true. Let me prove it to myself."

Joey stood stunned for a second before he nodded determinedly and activated his own Duel Disk. If Mai wanted to see into his heart, he would lay it out for her.

"DUEL!"

* * *

 _*Thud*_

 _*Thud*_

 _*Thud*_

 _*Thud*_

"Is he still at it?" Malik asked, glancing at the security room where the thuds echoed out.

"Only for the last month," Yami answered idly, stirring the pot on the stove. Pharaoh or not, even he was subject to the chores rotation they had set up and this was his week for cooking. "If he's not banging his head on something, he's yelling, drinking, or threatening me. The official announcement hasn't even been _made_ yet."

"I'm surprised he hasn't given himself a headache yet."

"I'm surprised he hasn't given himself alcohol poisoning yet," Yami muttered darkly, eyeing the empty bottles in the corner of the counter.

"Any idea when the announcement will happen?" Malik asked curiously.

"Last I heard, after the remaining Duelists from Battle City could be present for it," Yami answered, "Odion is ready to travel, but Mai is going to be the hardest one to convince. Joey-"

' _Joey's about to duel Mai!'_ Yugi interrupted suddenly.

"Really?" Malik asked, earning himself a glare from Yami. He had been getting better about control whose thoughts he heard and when, but accidents still happened when he let his guard down.

"Ishizu predicted this about a week ago, but we weren't sure of the exact date and time," Yami turned back to his task, "Yugi wanted to be there to offer his support, even if Joey can't see him."

"Why?"

"Joey is his best friend," Yami explained with a slight edge to his voice, "Why _wouldn't_ he want to be there for him?"

"Not that," Malik corrected quickly. He had already been on the receiving end of more than one angry yami after inadvertently insulting a hikari; he had no desire to repeat the experience any more than necessary. "Why are they dueling?" he clarified.

"Mai is not easily convinced," Yami said, stacking the dirty dishes in the sink, "She has a lot to prove to herself, which is why we never saw her unless it was a tournament. Her desire to be stronger has led her down some dark paths. The two of them share a special bond and often it is only Joey that can get through to her. For a Duelist, a duel of passion from the heart can convey more than words ever could; Mai needs that to accept her new rank and responsibilities."

"I would think she would be excited to be bumped all the way to the second spot."

"She would be... _if_ she fought for it and displaced you and Seto along the way. Mai hates charity and handouts."

' _Joey!'_ Yugi cried. Yami caught a glimpse of the blond being thrown backwards from a powerful attack by Mai. He also felt Yugi's fleeting intent to want to run to his friends side when he didn't get up right away.

"Stay where you are!" Yami barked instinctively, sending his will through the Shadows as well as through the bond.

Yugi froze, partly because of the grip of the Shadows on him that echoed the order, partly because he was terrified that he had angered Yami before he had even taken a step. Yami didn't even have the Puzzle with him and he still managed to command that Shadows so much.

' _I'm sorry. I overreacted,'_ Yami apologized immediately, flooding the bond with regret, ' _Joey will be fine. Just stay hidden. If anybody sees you, all of the healing that everybody has been through will be undone.'_

' _You're right. I'm sorry,'_ Yugi replied. Joey had already gotten to his feet and begun his counter attack.

"Dear Ra, Yami," Malik shuddered, "What was that about?"

Yami didn't know how to answer. That Yugi had had a brief thought to help Joey and that had sparked Yami to explode like that seemed so silly. He felt ashamed that he even had the capacity to use that tone with his hikari, much less use it.

Ishizu ran in looking frantic, followed by an annoyed Bakura and worried Ryou. Seto stayed in his security room, but Yami wouldn't be surprised if he was listening.

"Pharaoh, what happened?" Ishizu asked, eyes darting to her brother and then around the room, trying to find anything out of place.

"I overreacted to something," he admitted, "I apologize."

"Don't do that!" Bakura growled, "It affects all of us when you do!"

"I - what?"

"You released the order almost immediately, so no harm done, but for a brief moment, we couldn't even move," Ishizu explained. "Sending the order through the Shadows like that will do that. Surely you realize this? You've done it before."

"I have?" Yami asked dumbly.

' _Mostly to break up arguments,'_ Yugi provided quietly, fully recovered from the command and his attention back on the duel in front of him, ' _But it hasn't been that strong before.'_

"I see…" Yami said thoughtfully, "I apologize. I will be more aware of my actions in the future."

 _'Mai is doubting herself. Joey will win soon,'_ Yugi reported.

 _'Not surprising considering his goal,'_ Yami sent back, _'Joey will defend our title well.'_

"Umm...Yami?" Ryou interrupted, eyes locked on something behind him.

"Yeah?"

"Can we put out the fire now?"

"Wha-?"

Yami spun around to see the food he had been preparing had caught on fire; flames were licking the sides of the pot and threatening to reach the cabinets above. Before Yami could react though, the fire was smothered in a cloud of white. Coughing and waving the smoke from their faces, the Mages looked over to see Seto standing calmly with a fire extinguisher.

The faintest traces of teasing were present on his face. "At least it wasn't as bad as Malik's attempt. Seems like tonight is a pizza night."

* * *

 **Well, plots left, right, and sideways here. I'll try to jump around less in the next chapter... whenever it comes. I will get it out! Eventually.**

 **I appreciate all of you for sticking around! Please review :)**


	19. An Old Fear

**Welcome back and happy holidays to everyone! Would you like the good news or the bad news first? ...Good news it is!**

 **The good news is that I got my creative streak back and have been writing like a madman for the past couple of days. The bad news is that it's not for any of the chapters that are coming up any time soon.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"-and so, with the disappearance of the former King of Games, as well as the second and third ranking Duelists as of the last tournament, with no leads to their locations, Kaiba Corporation, alongside Industrial Illusions, recognizes Joey Wheeler as the new King of Games."

Joey stood and approached a second podium to face the mod of recorders and flashing lights. He felt uncomfortable in his suit and tie, but he stood tall as he faced the reporters.

Pegasus had flown in that morning to make a show of support and had moved to the side while Mokuba and Joey took center stage. Mai and Odion sat in the remaining chairs applauding politely, while Tea and Tristen stood in the background behind the Kaiba Corp security guards. With both Industrial Illusions the Kaiba Corporation making this announcement, nobody really had a standing argument against it.

"Mr. Wheeler, why do you think Yugi Muto left?"

Joey did his best to not scowl at the reporter. Mokuba wasn't kidding when he said reporters were brutal with their questions. Wasn't there supposed to be some kind of screening process? Why did that question get to make it through? And be the first one asked at that!

"I couldn't tell you. Yugi was… _is_ my best friend. I cannot begin to describe the shock and pain we all felt when we first discovered he was missing. We have been working very closely with the police, but nothing has come to light."

"Are you excited to take on your new role as King of Games?"

"No," he admitted to a second round of camera flashes. He could only imagine the stories that would be spun out of that simple statement. "I wanted to earn this title, not have it given to me by my best friend leaving, but that does not mean I won't step up to fill this role."

"Mr. Kaiba, this news that your brother has been missing for as long as Yugi Muto came out only recently, can you elaborate on why it took you so long to release such terrible news?"

Joey heard Tristen mutter something to Tea about rude questions, and couldn't help but agree. Fortunately, it was lost in the general background noise of the crowd.

Mokuba sent the reporter a firm look as he answered, "I know I am young, but I have been training to run this company as long as Seto has owned it. The fact that the company has not only been running, but _thriving_ , in his absence proves that I am fully capable of filling the shoes my brother left behind. If this news were released earlier, people would have panicked and Kaiba Corp would have been sent spiraling into the ground. My brother cared too much about this company for me to let that happen."

"Mr. Wheeler, do you feel confident that you will be able to win against those who might challenge you for the title?"

Joey gained a determined look in his eyes. "Bring it on," he challenged, "I will hold this title until Yugi comes back and takes it from me."

"You are certain he will return then?"

'Without a doubt in my mind."

"Will you be working with Kaiba Corp as the King of Games? Or do you intend to follow your predecessor's footsteps and stay unaffiliated with any company?"

"I will be working with Kaiba Corp, and before anybody says I am doing it for money, let me make something clear: I don't give a _damn_ about it. I have known Mokuba and his brother for a long time, and I want to help him as much as I can."

"You intend to do this, despite Mr. Kaiba's well known hatred of you?"

Joey almost smirked. "If anything, maybe it will annoy him so much that he'll come back."

* * *

" _If anything, maybe it will annoy him so much that he'll come back."_

The TV broadcasted the press conference to an empty room. None of the Mages were even in the room at the time, though not by choice. They had planned on settling themselves in front of the television to at least witness the event that way. As a whole, they decided against being there in person to avoid any temptation.

Unfortunately, those plans went out the window just before the press conference was supposed to start. A sudden surge in the Shadows drew their attention away as they hurried to find the source.

Now, the Mages, minus Malik and Seto, gathered around the edge of the Shadows that took up the entire corridor, curious as to who exactly Malik could be Gaming. Seto had gone back to his security room to figure out what happened.

"Should - should we go in?" Yugi asked, poking at the bubble. The Puzzle flashed every time he made contact with it, allowing him to actually penetrate it rather than be repelled.

"We might distract him," Ishizu worried, "The Game he could be playing might depend on that."

"Who could he possibly be playing against?" Ryou asked curious, "There were no alarms set off…"

Just last week somebody stumbled on their labyrinth and Bakura's spells let them know instantly. It was a man on the run who happened to think that their home was just a good place to hide and nothing more. Bakura was swift to Game him and take his soul.

Suddenly, Seto's roaring laughter could be heard echoing down the stone corridors. It was impressive if you considered the fact that the security room was nowhere near where they were. Very few things could make the stoic priest laugh like that. The first was if he thought he had cornered Yugi or Yami in a duel. The second was if anybody did something so monumentally stupid, barring life-threatening situations, they had to be bailed out.

Based on the circumstances, it was the second.

"Well, at least we know it's not serious," Bakura said lightly.

"Maybe a mishap with the Eye?" Ryou guessed.

"I don't think Seto would laugh like that for just a mishap," Yami stated, the corners of his mouth twitching.

From the echos, it sounded like Seto was getting closer, so the Mages waited patiently. Finally, he turned the corner, finally having calmed from his rambunctious laugher to mear chuckles. Malik must have really done something ridiculous.

Bakura faced the priest, hands on his hips, "Alright, Fancy Pants, what's so funny?"

Seto ignored him and instead faced Yami, "You should go in and rescue him."

Yami blinked. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"Just - just go," Seto said, trying to compose himself and failing.

Yami raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but turned to the Shadows, wondering _how_ exactly he was supposed to rescue Malik. Yugi passed over the Puzzle to actually allow him to pass through and control the Shadows if he needed to. Pharaoh or not, the Puzzle was what allowed him to be recognized by the Shadows as friend and not foe if he entered from the outside.

Letting out a sigh, Yami entered the bubble, disappearing quickly. It didn't take long for him to find Malik. The blond man had scrambled up a single tree sprouted from the Shadows. He was sitting with his feet tucked up, watching something with wide eyes.

"Malik?" Yami made his presence known.

Malik jumped and almost fell from his perch. His face lit up with relief when he saw Yami.

"Oh thank Ra!" he exclaimed.

"Seto said I needed to rescue you," Yami said, looking around in confusion, "What happened?"

Malik didn't say anything, just jerked his head towards the ground near the tree. When Yami followed his gaze, he saw a dark object, almost blending in with the Shadows. He moved closer to see it better.

"A snake?" he asked, stopping where he was. Now that he could make it out, he could see the snake's tongue flicking in and out, tasting the air curiously.

"Cobra," Malik clarified a bit defensively, "Caught me by surprise."

"So you started a Yami no Game?" The corners of Yami's mouth began to twitch up. No wonder Seto was laughing so hard. Yes, cobras were dangerous, but they would rather run away than fight, only rearing up if they felt threatened.

This was not their first encounter with a snake of any kind. Being underground provided a dark, cool place for the reptiles to escape the scorching heat of the day and it was not uncommon to stumble across one or two in the corridors in the morning or afternoon. They were easy enough to avoid however; a light pulse of Shadow Magic was usually enough to send them away.

"I didn't mean to!"

Yami rolled his eyes, ignoring Yugi's curious questions; he would find out soon enough and why spoil the surprise? "You've been caught by surprise before and never started a Game. What was different this time?"

"If you _must_ know, I was bitten by a cobra when I was younger. You understand I have a stronger aversion towards them than I do to Bakura's pranks?"

A vague memory of Ishizu mentioning that incident during Battle City surfaced in Yami's mind. If he recalled right, Odion had taken quite a severe beating for allowing that to happen, even though he had saved Malik's life.

"My apologies. We will have to work on this though. I can't have you starting Yami no Games against every snake you come across."

"Definitely," Malik keenly agreed, "Is there a way you can end this Game?"

"That's why I was sent in here," Yami admitted, "Let me see what I can do."

* * *

Outside the Shadows, the Mages waited with anticipation. Seto had finally calmed down, though he continued to refuse to tell them what had happened. Yugi sensed some surprise over the bond with Yami, but wasn't getting any answers from him. Something else happened in there that seemed to upset Yami, but at the very least Yugi could tell that it was separate from Malik's situation.

Finally the Shadows began to thin and Yami and Malik appeared. Yami had a look of suppressed amusement while Malik was refusing to look any of them in the eye.

"Well?" Ishizu asked, eyeing her brother, looking for any signs of harm, "What happened?"

"A cobra startled him," Yami answered calmly, though his eyes betrayed his amusement.

The Mages blinked in surprise, all of them quiet at the news. Suddenly Bakura let out a laugh that rivaled Seto's, startling them into their own reactions. Ryou cracked a grin while Ishizu dropped her head into her hand. Of course it would be Malik to do something like that.

Bakura threw an arm over Malik's shoulders, "Keeper, you are _never_ going to live this down!"

Taking pity on the man, Yami intervened, "Lay off for today, he knows this is something he needs to work on."

"Fine," Bakura removed the arm with a smirk, "Tomorrow you're fair game."

"Hey!"

"The Pharaoh said 'today'."

"I hate _all_ of you right now," Malik grumbled and sulked off.

"Not yet you don't!" Bakura called after him a clear promise that he was going to make Malik's life very hard starting tomorrow. Malik disappeared around the corner with a very rude hand gesture.

"Malik!" Ishizu scolded, hurrying after him.

' _Yami, what else happened?'_ Yugi asked quietly as they began to make their way back. They had likely missed the press conference and would have to catch the highlights of it later.

' _What do you mean?'_ Yami responded a bit _too_ nonchalantly, bringing up the rear.

Yugi wasn't at all fazed by Yami's poor attempt at a brush off. ' _Something upset you while you were in there.'_

Yami refused to meet his eye and instead focused on where he was walking. He wasn't able to keep all of the unsettlement from leaching across the bond though.

' _What happened?'_ Yugi pressed again.

Yami heaved a sigh. He should have known better than to try to hide something from Yugi. ' _It's just something the Shadows told me when I asked them to dissolve the Game… They said that if I ordered them, as their king, to destroy any of the worlds we know, they would do so without hesitation. Why on earth should I be given so much power?'_

Yugi almost stopped walking. The fact that Yami had so much authority and power didn't surprise him; he always knew, or at least suspected, that Yami was far more powerful than he let himself be. It was that _Yami_ was surprised. He thought carefully about how he wanted to respond.

' _You are "Pharaoh of the Shadows",'_ he finally said, ' _When you step into that role, the Shadows are but servants, and any good servant will obey the commands of their master without question. I think they are so willing though because of the kind of king you are. You are just and fair, and I think the Shadows appreciate that. If anything, the Game we played in India proved it.'_

' _But so_ much _? Why would I ever need to destroy the world?'_

' _Maybe to keep it out of the hands of those who actually want to do that?'_ Yugi suggested.

' _I guess maybe...'_

' _There's plenty of time to find out the answer,'_ Yugi assured, ' _You_ aren't _planning on destroying the world, so why worry about it?'_

Yugi felt some of Yami's tension roll away at that. It might take some time for all of them to get comfortable with the idea, once Yami decided to tell them, but in Yugi's mind, there was no one better suited to guard and protect such power.

"Hey, Shrimp!"

They turned to see Bakura marching up with purpose. Yami bristled at the insult to his hikari, but was stopped from saying anything with firm look from Yugi.

"What is it?"

"We've missed the press conference and today is your training day with me. Let's go."

Yugi yelped as Bakura grabbed his collar and started dragging him along. "You'd better not hurt him!" Yami called after the pair, restraining himself from rescuing his hikari. Bakura's training sessions were rough, but at least the thief was nicer with the hikaris than he was with the rest of them.

Speaking of hikaris, Yami decided he should probably track down Ryou and see if he could give him any insight into what Bakura had in store for Malik. After all, they needed to _help_ Malik, not traumatize him further.

* * *

 **So now Joey officially has the title King of Games and Malik tried to play a Yami no Game with a snake. I feel like Joey was basically using that press conference to just say, "Well, since everyone else left, I guess that means I'm the King of Games," hoping that they would hear in the distance Kaiba shout, "No it doesn't!" and they could go, "Ah, found them."**

 **Please review :)**


	20. Conflict

**Welcome back! Did you realize this has been going on for nearly two years? Me neither! I've had half of this chapter planned out from the beginning and I _finally_ get to publish it.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

" _Don't travel the desert alone."_

" _The Shadow Mages will take you if you go the wrong way."_

" _The dessert belongs to the Shadow Mages."_

These were the rumors that had started circulating through the nearby villages. The term "Shadow Mage" had been introduced by Bakura during a couple of his trips to get food and the word spread like wildfire.

He had cited an old family legend to get away with it, and now any time the Mages went to any nearby town, these were the warnings they heard over and over again. Rumors were spreading further and further with every passing day. The more superstitious folk warned any curious passerby about the dangers, providing the evidence of missing people to solidify their case, though they were usually dismissed as being eccentric.

It had been done without Yami's knowledge, but he had to admit, the rumors would keep them _and_ innocent explorers safe. It made him think that having a former thief in charge of frontline security wasn't necessarily a bad idea.

This surprise was far better received than the realization of what the traps and protections Bakura had originally laid out were doing. Once Yami and Yugi had found out that the traps were indiscriminately taking anybody who got too close and that some of the rumors circulating the town were in fact based on that, there was hell to pay and nobody could not escape it.

* * *

 _(Flashback)_

" _I thought you had changed! Why the_ hell _would you even think something like this is acceptable?! These are innocent_ children _, Bakura! What compelled you to think they deserved this kind of fate?"_

" _They got too close-"_

" _To what? The secret entrance that they could only find if they were actually looking for it? Or maybe it was the hieroglyphics that only trained archeologists could read?"_

" _The spells are designed-"_

" _And don't even get me started on those spells of yours!"_

 _The Mages watched the heated argument between Yugi and Bakura, shooting nervous glances towards Yami. 'Argument' was probably an overstatement. An argument indicated the heated exchange of ideas; Yugi had been yelling at Bakura for the past half hour, barely letting Bakura get a word in edgewise. For Yugi to get this angry was unheard of and it was slightly worrying._

 _Of course, none of them would ever deny that Bakura deserved this, not even Ryou. They had just found out that Bakura's spells not only trapped people who tried to break in, but also lured in anybody who happened to wander too close. It was entirely unfair, especially for the children who liked to explore the desert. Really, his only saving grace was that the Shadows did not immediately tear apart the souls captured this way._

" _You seemed fine with everything up until now!" Bakura finally got a counter in._

" _Yeah, when I thought that the only souls we got were those trying to break in! Not just anybody who wandered by! You intentionally mislead us all!"_

 _Finally Yami intervened. He placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder, effectively silencing his next verbal assault. Yugi looked up to see Yami's hard gaze at the thief._

" _Bakura, you must admit that your spells were not entirely well-intentioned. Yes, they protect us, but they also put innocent people in danger. You will return the children and send them on their way to their mothers who are surely worried about them. Then you will take the rest of the souls each through a Yami no Game. Return the ones who pass and alter their memories. The ones with malicious intent may stay in the Shadows."_

 _Bakura scowled, "If this is so much of an issue, why have the Shadows rebelled against it?"_

" _We're still learning to listen to the Shadows," Ishizu stepped in, "It's likely that they objected from the beginning, but we could not hear them. Do as the Pharaoh says and he will give you your punishment when you are done."_

 _Yami shot the seer a sharp glance, but said nothing. Bakura sent both of them a dirty look and stormed out, set on doing as instructed, however reluctantly._

 _Once the thief was out of earshot, Yami turned to Ishizu. He was already displeased with Bakura's actions, and Ishizu's words had not helped. "Now, what is this about me punishing Bakura?"_

 _Ishizu stood firm, "Pharaoh, Bakura knew that you disapproved of the violent spells he has around this place, but knew you tolerated them to keep us safe. He set the spells to lure in innocent people, deliberately crossing the line you had set. As pharaoh, you must enforce the rules and expectations you set, even against a friend, otherwise you lose the power you have and become king just in name."_

" _Is that really necessary?" Ryou asked quietly. It was the first thing he said since the whole thing started._

 _Ishizu nodded, "If this were Ancient Egypt, Yami would be well within his rights to have Bakura executed for treason."_

" _But this isn't Ancient Egypt!" Ryou protested, "We cannot live our lives as if it is!"_

" _I agree with Ryou," Yami said firmly, "Times have changed. I am satisfied with Bakura rectifying his mistake."_

 _Ishizu stiffened. "You are a pharaoh. Bakura has committed something akin to treason by deliberately going against your wishes."_

" _Even if it was something that was not explicitly stated?" Ryou challenged._

" _Ishizu is right," Seto stepped in, "Yami's morals are not unknown to us, even before we moved here. Bakura should have known better."_

" _Look, I'm not saying that what he did wasn't wrong, but he's fixing it now. Isn't that enough?" Ryou asked._

" _Not by the ancien-"_

" _I don't care about the ancient laws! We aren't in ancient times!"_

" _You're a hikari, specifically Bakura's hikari, it's only natural that you don't want to see him suffer," Malik said._

" _And what about the blatant misuse of Shadows?" Seto added, "Wasn't that what caused him to go insane last time? If he doesn't rectify that, then what's to say he won't go down that path again?"_

" _He won't!"_

" _You can't know that."_

" _I do! He's my yami!"_

" _The Pharaoh will-"_

" _Enough!" Yami barked at Ishizu, cutting off her argument, "I am tired of your presumptions and your arrogance! What made you decide you could be_ my _voice? That_ your _word is_ my _law? Does having the Necklace's abilities somehow make you think you stand above us? You do not stand at my right hand nor are you my only source of council!"_

" _I don't-"_

" _You just gave me a lecture about becoming a king in name only. How is letting you decide how I make my decisions change that outcome? By doing so,_ you _are the one attempting to overthrow and manipulate me. Explain to me how Bakura's actions are more treasonous then your own!"_

" _That is not my intention!" Ishizu yelled back, "I only want you to make the right choices."_

" _By whose definition?" Yugi shot at her, "Yami's decisions are his to make. Advice is good, backing us into a corner to get your way is not!"_

" _So you claim your own place at Yami's right hand?" Malik challenged, picking up on the inclusive plural._

" _He has more of a claim to it than any of you," Yami growled defensively._

 _Somewhere in the middle of it all, Ryou slipped away, intent on finding Bakura. He really didn't want to see Bakura suffer. Yes, he made a mistake, but he_ was _fixing it! It was a huge step for him, didn't the others understand that?_

 _Ryou found where Bakura was working, currently in the middle of a Yami no Game. He sat down and waited for the Shadows to clear. It didn't take too long. Bakura emerged muttering insults under his breath._

" _What a dumbass! Seriously you hear a creepy voice giving you vague promises and you just follow it? Have you never seen a horror film? I don't care if you were only ten."_

" _Bakura?"_

 _The thief jumped and turned to see Ryou waiting for him. All it took was one look for the thief to know something wasn't right. He had felt something roll through the Shadows during his last Game, but didn't have the time to figure out what it was._

" _Ryou? What are you doing here? What's wrong?"_

" _Everyone is arguing about what Yami should do to you because of this."_

" _Oh?" Bakura asked casually._

" _Ishizu was talking about treason, and how if we were in Ancient Egypt, Yami could have had you executed. It's turned into a shouting match and everybody's turning on each other, even Yugi. I think Seto is the most neutral party right now, but I don't know how long that will last."_

" _She's not wrong you know."_

" _She seems to want Yami to do something terrible to you, because you deliberately went against what you knew he would have wished. But you're fixing your mistake! You're already having to play so many Yami no Games and use so much magic. It's making everyone fight and argue. I just don't want anything to happen to you that would make you go back the way you were."_

 _Bakura paused. He didn't know Ryou still held that fear. He was a little hurt, but he couldn't blame him for it, especially after this incident._

" _Look, Ryou," he moved swiftly to sit on the floor next to his hikari, "There were… other...things that led to me being that way before and one day I'll share them with you. But I promise you, I won't_ ever _go there again. As for Yami… Ishizu's right. I did commit treason, so it would be the Pharaoh's right to do whatever he wanted."_

" _That doesn't scare you?" Ryou asked, "Especially with everything Ishizu was suggesting?"_

" _Nah," Bakura grinned, "I know the Pharaoh pretty well. Even if he took Ishizu's advice on this, I think the worst he would have me do is some kind of menial manual labor or something like that."_

 _(End flashback)_

* * *

In the end, Bakura was right. The thief was forced to clean the entire labyrinth by hand while he spent that time meditating with the Shadows and reconciling with them for his misuse of them.

Malik had taken delight in this, making Bakura's job harder by tracking mud all over the place. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out where he got it from, but Yami was puzzled as to how Malik was never spotted covered in the stuff considering he had to have carried it all the way from the Nile.

Despite all this, the rifts that had been created between them during the initial conflict had remained. They had divided into four groups: Yugi and Yami, Bakura and Ryou, Ishizu and Malik, and Seto by himself. Yugi and Yami were still furious at Bakura, Malik had taken his sister's side, if only to not incur her wrath, and while Seto had tried to remain neutral in everything, it had caused him to make enemies on all fronts, so he too, became cold towards everyone.

Sparring and defence training was more violent, resulting in more injuries. They were barely civil to each other when they passed each other, if they even acknowledged the other party. Yugi and Ryou had tried to bridge the gaps several times, only to fail. More than once the yamis had to step in to defend their hikaris.

 _Stubbornness,_ Yugi had mused, _Was the fatal flaw of all of them._

With nobody yielding on any front, it was a complete surprise when Seto suddenly appeared in Yugi's doorway one afternoon, out of breath and face full of concern.

"Yugi!"

Yugi rose to his feet in alarm, upsetting the chess game he and Yami were playing. Yami followed only half a second behind. "What's wrong?" Yugi asked worriedly, a knot inexplicably forming in his gut.

"It's your grandfather -" Seto started, but didn't get to finish. Yugi pushed passed him at just those words and disappeared down the corridor.

Yami followed more slowly. "What happened?" he asked Seto in a low voice. They had checked in on him only yesterday and the elderly man had seemed fit and healthy.

Seto sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that he collapsed and was taken to the hospital. Mokuba and Wheeler were with him, so it's all over the news."

Yami nodded his thanks and hurried after Yugi. He found him in Seto's security room staring at one of the several monitors covering the wall as turmoil and guilt flooded their bond. The monitor was tuned to one of the Domino news stations. If the caption at the bottom of the screen was to be believed, this was breaking news. He crossed the room to lay a comforting hand on his hikari's shoulder and listened to what the reporter was saying.

" _-Mokuba Kaiba, president of Kaiba Corporation, and Joey Wheeler, King of Games for nearly a year now, were with Solomon Muto when he was brought to this hospital. No official news has been announced but it is believed Mr. Muto suffered a heart attack."_

"I need to see him," Yugi said suddenly, moving towards the Shadows.

Yami caught his arm and stopped him. "We can't," he said, "Not now."

"He's my grandpa!" Yugi implored, tears flowing freely down his face, "He needs me there!"

"And how will you explain where you have been? How will you explain how you can't stay?" Yami countered, inwardly wincing at how cruel it sounded. He wanted Yugi to be able to see his grandfather, but suddenly reappearing after nearly a year of being gone wasn't a great plan of action. Solomon didn't need any surprises right now anyway, especially if it _was_ a heart attack he suffered. Yugi averted his eyes knowing Yami had a point. "Let's just wait," Yami pleaded, "Once we know more we can make a plan."

Yami guiding his hikari to the nearby couch where they both sat, watching the news reports unfold. Nobody had definite confirmation on what had happened, but thanks to Joey and Mokuba being seen with Solomon as he was taken in, the reporters weren't going anywhere any time soon.

" _We've been receiving questions from many viewers wondering if this is the same Solomon Muto who is the grandfather of Yugi Muto, former King of Games. Our sources indicate that he is. Already, people here are hopeful that in light of these recent events, Yugi Muto will return home._

" _Yugi Muto has been missing for most of a year now. Police are still working closely with Joey Wheeler and his close friends trying to track down and find out what happened to the beloved icon. As you may recall, reports came out only a couple of months after the report of Yugi Muto that indicated that Seto Kaiba went missing around the same time. Police are not sure the disappearances are related, but they are looking into it as it was a well-known fact Mr. Kaiba and Mr. Muto were rivals."_

"Some people are under the impression that I kidnapped Yugi because I held a grudge," Seto's voice broke through the monotonous tones coming from the television, "Others think that I have taken the some of the best duelists from Battle City to compete in a new super secret tournament. The conspiracy theories are getting more wild as time passes."

"Rumor's were bound to start flying once people learned you were missing too," Yami said, "Especially when Mokuba announced for how long. I hoped they would have started to die down by now."

Seto grunted, looking to Yugi who was still staring at the screens, his feet tucked up on the couch. He looked smaller than usual curled up into a ball and tucked up against Yami. He'd not given any indication that he noticed Seto's arrival or that he and Yami had said anything.

"Is there any news on your grandfather, Yugi?" he asked.

Yugi shook his head, "Nothing yet… I want to be with him… I _should_ be with him."

"I know," Yami comforted, "Once we learn more, we will try to figure out a way for you to do that."

"I'll go see if Ishizu can tell us anything more," Seto volunteered, surprising both Yugi and Yami, actually breaking Yugi's vigil of the news broadcast to look at him. Seto being the first to put stubborn pride aside? That was a miracle in and of itself. He disappeared back down the corridor before either of them could fully react.

"You have a family here as well," Yami muttered to Yugi, who had turn his attention back to the images in front of him, "We may be fighting, but I don't think any of them would ignore this."

"... I know…" Yugi replied softly. It was true. They may all be angry, but none of them were heartless.

News reports continued to pour in as more and more sources caught wind of what had happened. Eventually, Joey and Mokuba were spotted leaving the hospital and were immediately swarmed by reporters.

After a barrage of "What happened?" Joey finally answered.

" _A heart attack. I won't say anything more than that."_

" _Why are you here?"_

" _Mr. Muto...Gramps, has always treated me as one of his own family. When I didn't have a place to go, he invited me into his home. He was the one who taught me to play Duel Monsters and the one who helped me get to where I am, in some ways, more than Yugi did. I'm here because he is the closest thing I have to a grandfather of my own."_

" _Do you think_ this _will bring Yugi Muto back?"_

 _Joey let out a long sigh, "I certainly hope so. He's not the kind of person to leave this be. Even if it's just to show up and give his grandfather his support before leaving again, at least we'd know he was okay."_

"They can't know," Yugi muttered to himself. Yami tightened his grip around Yugi. He felt the same way, but the only thing they could do right now was wait.

Seto finally returned with Ishizu in tow. No bickering or insults, just solemn determination, but if their faces were anything to go by, the news wasn't good.

"What happened?" Yami asked, unconsciously shifting slightly in front of Yugi.

"Nothing yet," Seto hedged, but Yugi knew better.

"Grandpa's dying, isn't he?" Yugi asked quietly, surprising the three in the room.

Ishizu paused for a moment and then nodded, "He is…"

The room, which was not bright to begin with, seemed to get darker. The Shadows were not active, Yugi wasn't drawing on them, but his very spirit seemed to dampen at that.

"...Is there anyway I can go visit him? If he is…"

"I know you want to spend time with him," Yami hugged his hikari, "We'll find a way."

"Tonight."

"What?" Yami turned to face the seer.

"The others have already decided. Seto will disable the security cameras in Mr. Muto's room and Yugi can use the Shadows to get there. I will time when the nurses come in for their routines," Ishizu explained, "Bakura, Malik, and Ryou have volunteered to cause a distraction for the doctors and nurses to give Yugi more time if he needs it."

Yugi was left speechless hearing everything they were willing to do for him, but more than that, the fact they they were rushing this could only mean one thing...

"We're a family," Malik's voice floated from the doorway, "Isn't it times like this when families are supposed to put aside their differences and pull together to support each other?"

"You just worry about what you're going to say when you see him," Seto said, cutting off any reply that Yugi might have had, "We'll take care of everything else."

* * *

As happy as he was that everyone was now working together in harmony once more, Yugi wished it didn't come with such a price.

He and Yami stood in the Shadows, just outside of Solomon's room. Now that he was here, Yugi hesitated. How could he possibly face his grandfather, the man who raised him and then he abandoned in turn? He was so distracted that he didn't notice that he wasn't blocking these thoughts from Yami.

"You didn't abandon him," Yami spoke quietly, "You left to protect him. Nothing happened to him while we were around, but it could have been just a matter of time."

"I don't know if I can do this," Yugi admitted.

"Yes, you can. You'll be okay," Yami comforted, "I'll stay right here in case you need me."

"Thanks," Yugi muttered.

He took a deep breath, centering himself, and stepped out of the Shadows. Solomon was still awake, even though the room was dark, and the slight sound of his foot hitting the tile caused him to look over.

"Y-yugi?" he whispered in amazement, though his voice was weak.

"I'm here," Yugi assured, crossing the small room and grasping his grandfather's hand, "I'm sorry I have been gone so long."

"I told Joey you'd come back," he smiled, "He'll be so excited."

Yugi let his head drop at that. He could visit his grandfather, let him know he was alive and doing well, but he couldn't do the same for his friends.

"Joey can't know," Yugi whispered, "I am risking so much by being here now, and the other Bearers are risking more to let me."

"So the Millennium Items are back together?" his grandpa asked, "You're not staying?"

"I can't," Yugi said in a pained voice, "We needed training with the Millennium Items. It's dangerous, so we went into hiding. We didn't want to, it was a last resort, but people who were close to use were at more risk than they realized just by being around us. We had far too many close calls, so for the safety of everyone we cared about, we _had_ to leave. We just didn't think it would be for- for so long..."

"That must have been hard…" his grandpa said understandingly.

"More than you know," Yugi shut his eyes against the memories.

"Your heart has always been your greatest strength," Solomon smiled, placing his other hand on top of Yugi's. "Don't let it shatter."

"I won't," Yugi swore.

Solomon took a good look at his grandson. "You grew, didn't you?"

Yugi started at the change of topic, then blushed and ducked his head. "A bit," he admitted. He had grown at least a couple inches in the last year, "I'm still the shortest in the group."

"Ah, that would be my fault I'm afraid," his grandpa laughed quietly.

"I don't mind. It gives me a lot of advantages that people don't realize. Especially in fighting." Bakura had been quick to teach him how to defend himself and fight effectively with his height. Most people didn't expect someone so short to be able to land a strike on a taller opponent, something Seto had learned very quickly.

"You used to hate violence," Solomon frowned, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"I did. I still do," Yugi assured quickly, "But knowing how to defend myself without magic is a necessary skill. Besides, dull reflexes, even with magic, can spell disaster."

"I thought the Pharaoh took care of that."

Yugi allowed himself a sad smile. There was so much to fill his grandfather in on, and he was finally able to do it, but their time was limited. "Yami and I have had the ability to separate for a while now, since before we left. We create a solid form for him out of the Shadows and it lets us go about our own agendas. Not that they're very different, but we can be in different places at once now. Really the only time we're far apart is when it's one of our turns to go buy food and things from the nearby towns."

"Where is he now?"

"Waiting for me," Yugi nodded to a shadowy corner, where only Yugi could see Yami waiting patiently for him. "In the Shadows. He's giving us as much privacy as he can."

Solomon weakly turned his gaze in the same direction, unable to see what Yugi did but trusting his grandson all the same. "I see," he said simply.

Silence fell between them, broken only by the steady humming of the machines Solomon was currently connected to. Yugi did not mind, only wishing he never had to leave again. Of course he wished his grandpa wasn't even here, on the brink of death, but he would take this over no contact at all.

"May I speak with him?" Solomon asked suddenly. At Yugi's startled look, he elaborated, "The Pharaoh. I never got to meet him properly."

Yugi turned to where Yami stood stunned in the Shadows.

' _Well?'_

' _Are you sure?'_ Yami hesitated, ' _This is supposed to be your time.'_

' _I don't mind_.'

At his hikari's words, Yami slowly emerged from the Shadows, knowing first hand how strange it looked when you were not accustomed to it and not wanting to startle Yugi's grandfather. The Pharaoh crossed the small room in just a few strides until he stood next to Yugi.

"You really do look alike," Solomon commented, looking up at the king, "I thought it might have just been that you were in Yugi's body."

Yami did not know how to reply to that, so instead settled on nodding.

"I am no fool," Solomon continued, "I know that the Millennium Necklace can see the future and I know I must be nearing my end for Yugi to risk coming here."

Yami felt Yugi's free hand grip his tightly at the words. He returned some of the pressure and sent reassurance through the bond, hoping to ease some of the anxiety rolling off his hikari.

"Yugi would have done so anyway. But it is true in the near year since Ishizu has had the Necklace back, every vision it has shown has come to pass," Yami answered vaguely, but it was enough from Yugi's grandpa.

Solomon nodded. "I have a favor to ask of you," he said to Yami, "Take care of Yugi, make sure he stays safe."

Yugi wanted to be offended and say he could take care of himself, but he couldn't bring himself to be.

"You have my word that I will protect him," Yami answered Solomon's request soberly, "I will do everything in my power to keep him safe, as I always have."

"Yugi," Solomon turned his attention back to his grandson, "Ever since you solved the Millennium Puzzle, you have been granted power. Power has corrupted even the most honorable of men, keep your heart pure and it will never consume you."

"Of course," Yugi answered, tears flowing down his cheeks. The deep feeling in his gut told him that these were his grandpa's last words, and even though he wanted to be here for this moment, he wasn't sure if he was strong enough anymore.

"I'm proud of you," Solomon continued, a serene smile gracing his face, "So very proud of you."

Yami was aware that the only thing he could do for Yugi right now was be an emotional pillar, so that's what he did. He continued to allow Yugi's mind to cling to his like a life raft as one last shaky breath left his grandfather and the monitors began to scream, sending nurses and doctors running.

"We have to go," Yami whispered, tugging at his hikari.

Yugi put up no resistance as Yami pulled him into the Shadows just as nurses burst through the door. He watched tearfully as they tried to revive the man, but Yugi knew their efforts were in vain. Ishizu's visions weren't wrong.

It was long after the doctors had pulled the white sheet completely over Solomon that Yami spoke again. "Come on," he said softly, "Let's go home."

* * *

 **And there we go. If you read my first fic, you know we're about a month out from graduation now, when Joey wrote his first journal entry. We'll get to that later. How much later is a mystery, even to me! Hopefully it won't take another two months though.**

 **Please review!**


	21. First Hints of Eternity

***Looks at calendar* Well, it's been about two months since the last update... seems about right. Be warned, it is a rather short chapter (compared to my other chapters).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Joey closed the door to his room in the Kaiba Mansion, staring at the journal in his hand. Mokuba had just gifted it to him as a graduation present. All of them had gotten one. It was only part of a graduation gift from the young CEO, the rest would come in the form of tuitions or travel expenses. While Joey was staying local and going to a nearby college, the others were leaving Domino.

Tristen was off for the police academy in a neighboring district, planning on returning as a bodyguard for both Mokuba and Joey. He had decided that he needed more formal training to be as effective as he wanted. It wasn't too far away and Tristen could return if there was any word of Yugi.

Tea, on the other hand, was set to fly to America in only a few days. The dance school she had wanted to get into had accepted her, and even offered a scholarship. Joey and Tristen had worried about her being on her own in a foreign place, but Duke had offered her housing and company during her extended visit as he was going to be in New York for an extended time anyway while he worked on opening a new branch of his gaming store. Tea had assured them that she would be fine and would keep her ears open for any rumors that might lead them closer to Yugi.

Suddenly Joey felt like cursing Yugi's name. 'Selfish' was not a word he ever attributed to his friend, but it seemed to fit now. How could Yugi just leave? Didn't he know the emotional turmoil he was putting everyone through? What did he think he was playing at?

He sighed deeply. If Yugi was being selfish, it was by being selfless. Something had happened, something dangerous, and Yugi had left to take care of it on his own in an effort to protect his friends. It was hardly the first time he had tried something like that, but the problem this time was they had no idea any danger existed or even where to look for him. It seemed this time, Yugi had succeeded.

That jerk!

Joey threw the journal across the room and was rewarded with a loud slap as it hit the wall. How many times did they have to drill into his ridiculous head that they were a _team_? That they were stronger together?

Mokuba was right, he kept a lot of emotions, a lot of hurt, from showing, especially since he had taken a position in the limelight. He had to stay strong, be a pillar of strength for not only his friends, but all the fans of Duel Monsters. He had to admit it was exhausting.

Even Mokuba had to put on a face, but he seemed so much better at dealing with the stress. Probably because Joey had taken on the role of 'big brother' for Mokuba until Kaiba came back and allowed the young man to be the child he needed to be for brief periods of time. Currently, Mokuba was in the process of opening a Duel Academy; a one of a kind school where anybody could go to become better at Duel Monsters. Planning the curriculum and finding teachers was the hardest part and it was eating up a lot of his time now days.

At this point, if Yugi showed up again, Joey wasn't sure if he would hug him or strangle him. Probably both, though he might have to wait in line behind Tea.

Joey let out a breath, trying to control his thoughts and emotions before he punched through a wall...again. He crossed the room to pick up the discarded journal. It couldn't hurt to try this thing, right? If it didn't work, he could always tear out the pages, burn them, and pass the journal on to someone else.

He sat down at the desk, opening the journal to the front page. How on earth did someone write in one of these? He knew the stereotypical "Dear Diary", but that was for girls! Did he have to start with a greeting? Could he just start writing without any introduction? Nobody else would be reading this, so did it really matter? Picking up his pen, he began to write.

" _Um, hi. I guess?"_

* * *

" _Why not?! It's been a year!"_

" _I don't know! I just know it's not time yet!"_

" _What could possibly happen if I tried now?!"_

" _I don't know! I am not omniscient! What I_ do _know is that_ _you need to be better prepared!"_

" _Prepared for what?!"_

" _I don't know!"_

" _I'm getting tired of that damn excuse!"_

" _What do you expect from me?!"_

" _I expect you to be able to give a straight answer if you tell me I can't try to get my memories back!"_

Five Mages watched as Yami and Ishizu yell at each other. They had been at this everyday for a week now. After the first day, they learned quickly to not intervene. Eventually their argument would dwindle to the point where Yugi could step in and calm Yami down enough to separate them.

"At least they're giving us some variety today," Bakura casually mentioned. True to his fashion, he enjoyed the daily fight, even going so far as to actually bring a chair and snacks to watch in comfort.

"Variety?"

"Arguing the in same language day after day gets boring! So many new ways to express yourself when you use other languages!" Bakura suddenly laughed loudly as Yami let out a rather colorful string of curses.

Ryou frowned and shook his head at his yami's words, but there was a shadow of fondness that flickered over his face. Bakura might not be one to be classified as a "good" person, but he was a good yami and a good Mage. He brought insight and experiences that the others wouldn't dare to explore on their own and it had paid off in dividends over the past year, despite some bumps in the road.

"How long until the Pharaoh goes and tries the tablet anyway?" Malik asked the group, making sure that his voice did not carry to the king in question.

"He won't," Yugi answered, "He doesn't want another situation like Dartz happening because he tried to recover his memories too early, but he's frustrated at the whole situation. I've shared my memories with him and he's built new ones since the Puzzle was solved, all I can do at this point is help him not to dwell on it too much."

" _Can you at least give me a timeline? How long do I have to wait?"_ Yami growled in annoyance, " _Will it be in our lifetime? Or will I have to wait for the next round of reincarnations?_ "

The Mages stopped and leaned forward to hear Ishizu's reply. Her answer could put an end to the daily battle between her and the Pharaoh. She paused, bringing her hands to the Necklace as she tried to find an answer, eyebrows knitting together in frustration as the Necklace glowed. This did not bode well.

"I don't know…"

Yami grit his teeth and clenched his fists at his side. The sight of the cringing seer was apparently enough to curb his anger, if only enough to keep him from snapping at her. Yugi finally seemed to deem it safe enough to step next to Yami, sending calming waves through the bond. He was the one to speak next.

"Ishizu, what _did_ you see?"

Ishizu looked relieved. "I can see the Pharaoh presenting the god cards to the tablet. I can see all of us there and I get the distinct impression that a significant amount of time has passed, but we only appear a couple years older than we are now."

While the words brought confusion to the rest of the Mages, for Yugi they brought forward a memory that he had forgotten about. The vision the Necklace showed him the very same day when all of this started: seven figures, standing unchanged as the world changed around them… was it possible?

Yugi pushed the thoughts away. There would be plenty of time to figure out what that vision really meant later, for now, he had a frustrated pharaoh to keep calm.

"We _will_ get your memories back," he assured quietly, "I know you're impatient, but we really have no idea what exactly will happen when you present the god cards to the tablet again. Better to be over prepared than caught off guard."

"A couple of years isn't too bad," Malik said, placing a hand on the king's shoulder, "I'm sure we'll be so busy that it won't seem so long."

Yami shrugged off the gesture, and with one final glare, dissolved his body back into the Shadows. It wasn't often any more that Yami or Bakura needed their Shadow constructed forms to fade, but if Yami was in a particularly brooding mood, he would hide away in the Puzzle, exploring the maze in a futile search for answers.

"Ishizu," Seto spoke up, "What do you mean when you say 'a significant amount of time'? A year? Two years? A hundred?"

Yugi shuddered at the thought of a hundred years, but went unnoticed as Malik scoffed. "Please, a hundred years is a bit ridiculous, don't you think? We will be rotting away in our graves by then, if not turned to dust by that point."

Seto fixed him with a level stare. "I used to think that magic and destiny were 'a bit ridiculous', and now look at where we are. If there's anything I've learned from being surrounded by this, it's that the impossible will throw itself into reality when your back its turned."

"Expect the unexpected," Ryou said softly.

"That certainly seems like a good mantra for our lives," Bakura agreed, packing away his things, "Everything we've been through has been unexpected."

"To answer your question, Seto," Ishizu said before they could get too far off track, "I would like to say five years, at least, but with all of us looking nearly the same in the vision, it's impossible to tell. It may very well be next year. It may take ten. I will continue to search to see if I can find an answer that will satisfy the pharaoh."

"Don't take it personally, Ishizu," Yugi said, "He's not mad at you, he's just frustrated at the whole situation."

Ishizu smiled at him. "Be that as it may, I still would like to give him a satisfactory answer."

"Thank you."

The Mages began going their separate ways. Ishizu to fulfill her promise, Malik and Bakura to spar, Seto back to his computers, and Ryou to make sure Malik and Bakura didn't hurt each other too badly. Yugi hung back, wrapped up in the thoughts he refused to focus on as everything happened.

Was it possible? Could the vision really have shown that _they_ would live forever? He had assumed it to be symbolic once they learned about the Shadow Mages; the _Mages_ , as an entity, would be around and they would have a line of succession when it came time. Then again, he also assumed that Yami would no longer be around by that point. They had assumed that he would get to pass on once he reclaimed his memories. Now, that wasn't even an option any more.

He felt Yami's questioning presence as he reemerged from the depths of the Puzzle having sensed Yugi's troubling thoughts, but not hearing the details.

' _It's nothing, Yami,'_ Yugi sent, ' _Just thinking.'_

' _Are you sure?'_

" _Yes. Go back to your search. Maybe you'll find the right door today.'_

Yami's presences faded back into the Puzzle, accompanied by grumbles of irritation and doubt at the impossible labyrinth. Yugi smiled slightly at that and pushed away the troubling thoughts again.

There would be plenty of time to worry about the future later.

* * *

 **I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but here we are anyway. Bigger time skips are coming. I think for the next chapter we will have skipped another year or two. Still working a little on the timeline, but I think I've got an idea of what order I want things to happen in.**

 **Here's to hoping I get off my butt and get more chapters out soon. Please review :)**


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